Walt Disney High School
by XxPrincessRapunzelxX
Summary: Rapunzel and her friends Belle, Cinderella, Alice and Meg all attend Walt Disney High School. Join them on their journey through the drama of modern high school. The story is written from the POV of each of the five girls, and begins with events prior to their respective movies, or at the beginning of their movie.
1. A New Year

Rapunzel breathed in the crisp air. The morning was fresh and her nose was turning pink. She pulled her long braid over her should and smoothed her navy skirt. She smiled as pascal climbed out of her bag and up onto her shoulder. "we're finally here!" she smiles. "We've been waiting all summer and were finally here!"

She picks up the small chameleon and places him back into her bag, she didn't want anyone to see him. The chameleon, now upset at being inside the dark bag again curls up and settles down for the adventure. He knew this routine. Rapunzel was excited, unlike many girls her age would be, for the school year to have finally started. Spending the last two months home with her mother were not ideal. She remembers her last day of her sophomore year at W. Disney High School. She remembered crying because she knew that she would have no where to escape her nasty, self centered mother. She took a deep breath as she took her first step into the courtyard she knew so well. Between her and her friends, they had shared many memories in the courtyard.

Rapunzel was a junior at W. Disney High. She was an only child living with her cruel, over protective mother. For Rapunzel, school was an escape. When she wasn't spending time with her friends, she found comfort in the company of her chameleon, pascal, whom she had gotten as a child. Rapunzel was the creative type, and found her second escape in her art.

Now that she was back, she simply couldn't wait to see her friends. "and you'll be home promptly at three, do you understand?"

"yes Mathilda," a young girl sighed.

"Alice, remember, always-"

"-be polite, thank your teachers and greet them at the beginning of each class and bid them farewell at the end of each class, Mathilda, I know."

Rapunzel turned around and saw Alice Liddell, one of her best friends. "Alice!" she called.

Alice was a sophomore at W. Disney High. Her parents worked long hours, and she rarely got to see them, even on the weekends. Her elder sister, Mathilda, cared for her most of the time. Mathilda insisted that Alice be proper at all times and controlled her life. Mathilda believed that without doing so, Alice would turn wild. Alice doubted this would ever be the case, but without much choice, Alice complied.

The young girl spun around. "Rapunzel!" she answered, running toward her.

The two girls embraced each other, and at that moment they each knew that the other had dreadful stories from the summer break to tell the other. " how's your mother?" Alice asked.

"self-centered as always.." Rapunzel sighed, "how's your sister?"

"Bossy, as usual," Alice replied.

"You didn't meet any ruffians over the break did you?" Alice said staring at Rapunzel

Rapunzel started to laugh, "no."

They looked each other up and down, making sure every piece of their uniforms was in check. Rapunzel smoothed her blouse and looked at Alice who was pulling her socks up to her knees. They checked each others hair, Rapunzel pulled her braid over her shoulder once more, and alice retired the ribbon in her hair.

They walked into the entrance of the school. On a bench in the courtyard, they saw a fair, brunette girl sitting alone and reading. Her hazel eyes were fixed on the delecate pages of the book. They sat on the bench on either side of her, giggling. "good morning Belle!" the called.

Startled, the girl dropped her book. "guys I told you not to do that!" she said in a huff. Her book had fallen to the floor. Now disgruntled, she got up to pick it up, when her hand met another, larger and more muscular hand. She looked up. "lovely morning, isn't it Belle?"

"Gaston I told you to leave me alone!" she said through gritted teeth.

"Gaston? Moi? Leave you, the most beautiful girl in this school alone?" he replied.

"May I have my book please?" she said, becoming hot.

"what do we have here? Jack and the Beanstalk? How can you even read this book? It has no pictures!" He began examining the book, holding it upside down.

She snatched her book out of his hands, "well some people like to use their imagination! Gaston, there is no way you will ever get me to even think about you if you continue to act like that. Alice, Rapunzel, let's go, leave this baffoon alone."

"Belle it's about time you got your head out of those books, and paid attention to more important things, like me." Gaston said

Belle shook her head as they began to walk away.

They walked across the courtyard when the bell for class rang. Belle's face changed from anger to disappointment. "I'm sorry Gaston had to waste your time."

They bid their farewells and made promises to meet under their usual tree for lunch.

Rapunzel walked through the halls into her first period classroom, history with Dr. Doppler. She sat through roll, staring around the classroom. She was wishing to see her friends she had longed to see all summer. "Rapunzel?"

"here." she said in a monatonius voice. She pulled her heavy braid over her shoulder. And she pushed her bangs behind her ear.

Dr. Doppler excitedly passed out packets of information and walked around the classroom explaining rules of his classroom. Rapunzel could tell this man was passionate about history. He also kept referring to "his voyage" which she was unsure what to make of. She did notice he appeared to favor a kid named Jim Hawkins. She didnt know if that would become relevant. Already bored, she flipped through the pages of the packet. syllabus, materials list, teacher information, cover letter written by the doctor himself.

Suddenly a piece of paper landed on her desk. She unfolded it to read "look left". She looked to her left and saw Jane Porter, a girl she sat next to in her English class in the previous year. She smiled," it's good to see you again Jane!"

"you have no idea how pleased I am to see you, I didn't think I was going to know anyone in my class!"

Jane porter was also a junior. She often spent her summers traveling with her father to exotic destinations. She began telling Rapunzel about her most recent voyage to Africa. Only to she and Rapunzel's dismay, the summer was now only a memory. Jane showed Rapunzel the sketches of animals she saw there; knowing only Rapunzel would truly appreciate her artwork.

Rapunzel's eyes widened as she looked at Jane's delicate sketches. She had sketches of birds and monkeys that looked so real.

Rapunzel told her about her own exciting summer that she spent locked up with her mother. Jane looked at Rapunzel knowing that by "exciting" she meant dreadful.

The two sat content with each others company for the rest of the period

The bell rang once again and Rapunzel was headed across campus to math with Mr. Santorini. Math was Rapunzel's least favorite subject, as it seemed like a foreign language to her. She struggled through Algebra her freshman year, and was frightened of beginning Algebra II this year. She walked into the classroom and listened to the broken record routine of Mr. Santorini talking about class rules. As he spoke she looked around the classroom for anyone she may know, and cringed with despair, as she saw no one. Great, she was going to have to suffer this one alone.

Mr. Santorini asked everyone to take out paper and a pencil. He wrote several problems on the board and asked the students to solve them by the end of the period. Rapunzel looked at them and realized she had forgotten how to do them. At the end of the period he collected the papers and announced that they were placement test papers. Rapunzel knew this year was going to be a struggle.

When the bell for class rung she walked down the hallway, thinking about her "placement test" and suddenly ran into Cinderella, another one of her best friends.

Cinderella had been a good friend of Rapunzel's since they were in 5th grade. The two met when they were placed in the same class and understood each other and the struggle of overbearing and cruel family members. Cinderellas father had gotten remarried when she was 4 years old. Her father, a wealthy businessman, married a woman who had been through divorce herself. Along with his new wife came two step daughters, Anastasia and Drizella. Anastasia was now a sophomore and Drizella was now a senior. The two girls were Mrs. Tremaine's pride. She would do anything for her daughters. When Cinderella was 7, her father died, and only then did her stepmother's true personality show. While giving her daughter a life of luxury from previous wealth, and the wealth she inherited, Cinderella served as a housekeeper in her own home. Cinderella, like Rapunzel, found school to be an escape.

"how was your summer?" she asked.

"spent it with mother, as always," Rapunzel rolled her eyes.

"I know how you feel, I spent my summer down at Daisy's Diner busing tables, and cleaning up after my wicked step mother and Anastasia and Drizella. At lease working at Daisy's took some of my time away from being at home. "

"sounds fun." Rapunzel replied sarcastically, "what class are you headed to?"

"I have English with Mr. Thatch." she replied, "I hear he's really good."

Rapunzel looked down at her scheduale and let out a squeal of delight. "we have that class together!"

Cinderella smiled and they entered the classroom together. As soon as she enters the classroom her bag shuffles and Pascal pokes his head out. Cinderella smiles as she sees the chameleon. He quickly changes the caramel brown of Rapunzel's bag. Rapunzel pokes him back into her bag and sits in a desk next to Cinderella.

Mr. Thatch seems like a very shy and insecure man. He seems distracted when he speaks. He calls roll and reaches Cinderella. He stared at her and the crystal pendant on her neck given to her by her mother. Cinderella, now red, says "here" quietly.

"curious," he mutters.

Cinderella was blushing for the remainder of the period. She stared down at her notebook while the rest of the class chattered with excitement about their summer. Rapunzel knew there was no real need to further inquire about Cinderellas summer, she knew it was as dreadful, if not more, than her own.

When the bell rings, She waves goodbye to Cinderella as she walks to her science class. Rapunzel takes a deep breath as she opens the classroom door. She walks in to find a very tall and slender woman. She was wearing ungodly high heel boots that laced up her legs. Her over coat was a bold blue with gold buttons. She had fiery red hair that was pulled back. "Good morning class!" she said in a loud, firm voice, " you will call me professor Amelia. Welcome to level three sciences. I assume since you all are juniors you're mature enough to deal with what I will teach this year, anyone want a pass out now?"

Rapunzel was taken aback by how bold she was. She gazed around the class room to see if anyone had considered dropping the class and noticed a model ship on her desk. Rapunzel drew the conclusion she had either been to sea, or wished to. "now for roll, listen for your name. Aladdin?"

"Here!"

"Aurora?"

"Present, Professor Amelia."

Professor Amelia sighed and shook her head.

Rapunzel's heart sunk to learn of some of her classmates. Aladdin was constantly trying to pawn objects off people. He always offered to buy some of her golden locks, which she found a little disturbing, but she refused only because mother told her she was never allowed to cut her hair. Also in her clas she recognized Aurora, who seemed to be happily talking to Aladdin. She looked around to see if she recognized anyone else, which she didn't.

Finally the list came to her,"Rapunzel."

"Here." She replied monotonously like she had in her last three classes.

Professor Amelia asked them to take out their notebooks and write down her safety rules. Rapunzel listened attentively through the rest of the period, ready for lunch.

She walked out across the courtyard to lunch. Pascal crawled out of her bag onto her shoulder. "Pascal, this is going to be one interesting year." she said. Pascal looked at her, eyes wide.

"You've seen my teachers, my classmates, something about this year is just crazy."

Pascal understood her. She held him in her hand and smiled. She stroked his back and placed him back in her bag.

She saw Belle and Alice walking in the distance. She walked toward them and saw Cinderella walking in the distance. They walked together and sat under their usual tree. Rapunzel put Pascal down and helped Cinderella put her hair in a bun after Jasmine made fun of her in her fourth period.

Jasmine was one of the meanest girls in their year. She had recently started dating Aladdin, meaning no one could be mean to him without her hearing about it. She walked across the courtyard her tree trunk sized ponytail swinging behind her. She walked with her best friend Aurora. The two terrorized most of the girls in their year. They had a changing pack of girls who helped them. Recently they had picked up Cinderella's step sisters, Anastasia and Drizella. They walked across campus with their noses in the air. A slick smile spread across Jasmines face and she talked to Aurora. Her eyes darted in Cinderellas direction.

"has anyone seen Meg today?" Belle asked.

The three other girls shook their heads. Cinderella was watching her step sisters across the courtyard when she spotted Meg sitting under a tree with her boyfriend, Adonis. She was playfully trying to kiss him and he was smiling. "she and Adonis seem so happy together," Alice smiled.

The four girls looked over and saw Meg laughing as Adonis flexed his muscles. Adonis was on the school's football team. The girls loved Meg as a sister, even though she was from the year above them. They all remembered how ecstatic she was the day he asked her out. The two had become nearly inseparable since May when he asked her out.

Cinderella was intently watching her stepsisters as they talked with Aurora and Jasmine. "Those two suit them," she said sternly, "I can't believe they hadn't found each other earlier."

Alice began to giggle uncontrollably. Belle was sitting against the trunk of their tree reading. Rapunzel watched as Pascal climbed through their tree.

When the bell rang Rapunzel happily walked to class. She had Art next period with Ms. Merryweather. Art was Rapunzel's favorite class. She often felt like she could escape in her art. Something she was never free to do at home. She had covered the walls of her room at home with her paintings, but she never felt as free as she did at school.

Ms. Merryweather seemed like she would fit the bill as far as a good art teacher. Her entire classroom was blue. Rapunzel couldnt help but giggle at the way her new teacher loved blue. When she sat down in a desk she found herself sitting next to one of her friends, Esmerelda.

Esmerelda was a year above Rapunzel. She was raised in a gypsy family, and followed gypsy traditions. Rapunzel and her friends always worried about Esmerelda, as she was the type that would run away and never come back. Rapunzel let out a sigh of relief seeing that Esmerelda returned for her senior year. Esmerelda was a good friend of Meg's and had been introduced to Rapunzel through meg.

Esmerelda told Rapunzel of her trip to her homeland over the summer. Rapunzel explained she had spent the entire summer inside working for her mother. Esmerelda's brow furrowed with a look of pity. Today, Esmerelda seemed distracted. She began to lightly chat with her friend Quasimodo, or Quasi for short.

They spent the class period with a sketching activity, and Rapunzel sketched a sun as she waited for the bell to ring. She didn't know why, but she had always found the sun fascinating. She looked at Esmerelda's sketch, it was a sketch of a very large building, perhaps a cathedral. The edges were very rough, and it was no where near being complete. Esmerelda caught her staring, "I saw it over the summer on my trip." She smiled.

Rapunzel nodded. "It's really good."

"Thanks, it's really difficult to capture its true beauty, and all the sanctuary it's provided to my people," Esmerelda added.

When the bell ran Rapunzel was relieved to be going to her final class of the day, her choral period. The class was headed by Ms. Fauna. She looked around and saw Ariel. She smiled at her.

Ariel, also a junior, was extremely shy. Rapunzel was glad to see she had finally gotten the guts to join the choral class.

She came from a family of singers. Her eldest sister Aquata was legendary in the school for her beautiful solos that no other could match. Ariels second eldest sister, Arista, also had a very powerful voice butcould not match the power of her sister before her. Ariel's third oldest sister, Alana, was currently a senior. She was in the choir, but only as a background singer. She was often concerned with her looks, and was constantly sharing beauty tips and trends she found.

Sometimes Rapunzel would hear Ariel hum in some her classes in previous years, and could only imagine how beautiful her voice actually was. she was sure Ariel would get a solo at some point this year. Rapunzel however, sang only as a hobby.

It was only the first day, and Alana was already tormenting her younger sister. "Ariel you must stand up straight if you want the proper sound!" She was scolding her younger sister as she snapped her compact shut.

Ariel looked scared stiff, knowing the expectations she had to live up to. Rapunzel flashed her a reassuring smile.

They learned their warm up chords. They practiced together as Ms. Fauna sat at the piano. They ended their practice early and Rapunzel had a chance to talk to Ariel. "I'm so glad you decided to join this year!" Rapunzel said excitedly.  
"Well, Aquata kind of talked me into it." Ariel blushed.

"You don't mind Alana being in here with you?"

"I can handle her," Ariel replied and then the final bell rang.

At the end of the day, Rapunzel met with Belle, Alice, and Cinderella in the courtyard. They discussed their classes and the people they found interesting. Rapunzel inquired as to if any of her friends found their teachers as odd as she did. They saw Meg kiss Adonis goodbye, and then she walked over to them. "What's rockin' my ladies?" she asked.

They all giggled and replied, "not much,"

"Hey that's fine. I had a pretty good first day back, got to meet some new people with Adonis. how about you girls?"

"It was fine," Cinderella replied.

The other girls nodded in agreement. Belle had a look of concern as her eyes darted around the courtyard as it emptied. Rapunzel could tell she was looking for Gaston. Pascal crawled out from her bag onto her shoulder.

"how do you all think this year is going to be?" Meg asked.

"interesting," Rapunzel replied, "very interesting."


	2. Pesky Boys and Pep Rallies

Belle wondered what the year had to bring. She clutched her book to her chest tighter as she thought about the memories she would have at the end of the year. This year was going to be different. She had always been quiet. She was very simple, and never asked for much.

Belle was a junior at W. Disney High. She was an only child, and she lived with her father. Her father was creative, imaginative even. Belle figured she got her imagination from her father. She didn't have much to base that on, her mother had passed when she was 2. Her father worked as a technician in the town. Although most of the town found him insane, Belle couldn't have asked for a better father.

"how about we meet at Clarabelle's for frappes on Friday and we can discuss the week?" Meg asked.

The girls agreed to meet after school Friday at Clarabelle's Cafe. It was a small, hole-in-the-wall coffee shop that not many people were busting down the doors to go to. Most of the students from W. Disney High liked to meet at Daisy's, but due to Cinderella's bitter feelings about the place after having to work there, the girls made Clarabelle's their new place to meet. It was smaller and less people were around to hear their gossip. Not to mention Clarabelle knew the girls, and was always friendly to them.

Belle spent her week studying and helping tutor younger students in the library. The days of her first week blurred together. She had spent the week shelfing books, tutoring, and reading, just like she always had after school. On Friday afternoon, after helping return the books to their shelves, she quietly closed the door and walked across the courtyard. She was in a hurry to get down to Clarabelle's, when she ran into someone. "oh my goodness! I'm so terribly sorry!"

She looked down and saw a small trembling freshman boy. She thought she had seen him around, but she couldn't remember where. She knew his name was Lefou "quite alright, and you are?" he asked

"my name is Belle," she replied, almost in shock.

"B-B-B-Belle?"

"that is correct." she said puzzled. She wasn't sure why he seemed so confused about who she was.

Startled he ran off, repeating her name. Her brow furrowed at the event that just took place. She began to walk to the entrance gate of the school when she heard "why Lefou you little-! How could you have let her get away?! Didnt you pay attention to the plan? I'll ring your neck if it's the last thing I-"

She turned back and peered around the corner into one of the hallways leading to the men's restroom. "hello?" she called.

She suddenly became very worried that she had endangered the young boy. Out of the shadow came a tall, muscular boy. "ah, if it isn't Mademoiselle Belle herself!"

The small younger boy, pulling at his collar, crawled out of the shadows next to him. The taller boy came out into the daylight. "May I interest you now?" he asked.

"Gaston! How many times do I have to tell you no? Why do you want me? Why don't you want one of the Bimbette triplets? I'm sure you could snag one! Or perhaps even all three!"

"oh Belle, don't you see? That would simply be too easy!"

"Gaston I don't have time for this," she muttered.

"So Belle what do you say?"

"I have to go Gaston!" she said sternly, and turned around to walk away.

"Mon Cherie! You'll come around, I know it!" he called after her.

She huffed as she walked down the street to Clarabelle's. She never understood why Gaston was constantly after her. She told him no, time and time agan, yet he was still persistant. That kind of persistance had to be admired in an odd way. She reached the door of Clarabelle's and pulled it open. She saw Rapunzel, Cinderella, Alice, and Meg huddled around their usual table. They waved her over. "we were starting to worry!" Alice cried, "we thought something had happened to you!"

"sorry I got hung up with Gaston, again." she said, "and he appears to have picked up that freshman, Lefou, as his side kick."

Rapunzel stuck out her tongue, " when is Gaston going to get a real life? No girl is ever going to want him if he doesn't play a sport or something."

Belle giggled at Rapunzel's sly remark. She took a sip of her drink. Meg giggled, "so my ladies! Any of you found any eye candy for yourselves."

The four girls shook their heads in despair. Belle thought of all the boys she saw coming in and out of the library everyday, but none of them stood out to her. This year is the year she thought. This year will be differet. She knew, of course, it wasn't all about finding a boy, but she had read enough books to know that it was defiantly natural for her to want to meet her own Prince Charming.

Meg told the girls about the schools first home football game, in about a month, and how Adonis would be playing. They were happy for her and her boyfriend. Meg suggested they come with her to the pep rally that was coming up.

They remembered to tell meg about Jasmine and Aladdin. "shoot," she said," you mean I can't scare the daylights out of the little thief without tree trunk coming after me? Ha! I'd like to see her try!"

The five girls laughed. Their worries began to slip away as they told stories from their week. Belle mentioned that Gaston was still after her. Cinderella talked about how mr thatch was obsessed with her necklace.

When the he sunset came, the girls helped Clarabelle clean up the shop, and walked home. Belle skipped up the few steps to her house and opened the door. She found her father, Maurice, in the garage as always. She watched him, for a brief second, as he fiddled and dug through his tool box. She smiled, "Papa i'm home!"

Her tired father looked up at her, "welcome home dear."

She could tell he was exhausted. She skipped up the back steps and through the house and into the kitchen. She put a loaf of bread in the oven and sliced a butter pat to leave to get soft. She sat down with her text books and began her homework. She began to solve complex equations, and accurately answer her history questions. She was smart there was no doubt about that.

Once she finished, she prepared dinner and called her father from the garage. He asked her about her week at school, to which she replied by telling him about the library. She told him about how she had Mrs. Radcliffe for English, to which her father nodded with approval. "I've met her at the market once or twice, she seems very nice," he said

"She is, it's just my friends Cinderella and Rapunzel have the newest teacher, Mr. Thatch, whom I've heard so many stories about!"

As they finished eating, Belle cleaned the table up. She began to wash dishes and put them neatly away in the cabinets.

The girls soon found themselves nearly two weeks into school. Everyone was pumping up for the first pep rally of the year. Meg convinced Belle and Rapunzel to come with her. Cinderella and Alice had other after school obligations. Meg chattered endlessly about how they were going to have the football team in the rally. As they walked into the gym, there was the loud music from the band and cheerleaders shaking their pompoms.

"Ready girls?" They heard a peppy voice.

It was Aurora, the new captain of the cheer team. The girls followed Aurora into the gym, it was Paula, Claudia, Laura, triplets collectively know as the bimbettes, Charlotte, also known as Lottie, Nani, Helen, and Malina.

They did their cheer routine to pump up the crowd. Aurora flashed a glare in Meg's direction. Aurora blew a whistle and grabbed a megaphone, "Bring out the boys!" She called. Helen, Lottie, Claudia, and Laura held up a banner for the team to run through.

Belle noticed that Adonis was missing. She looked around with concern. Meg didn't seem the least bit worried. People were cheering all around them. She saw some players she recognized. She saw the stabbington twins and Shang Li.

Aurora blew a whistle again and shouted through her megaphone. "And finally our star quarter back, Adonis!"

Adonis was all smiles as he entered the gym. The girls in the bleachers looked around excitedly. Girls began swooning in the bleachers. Meg began screaming with delight.

Belle and Rapunzel were unsure what to do. They clapped for Adonis and looked at meg cheering wildly next to them. Belle could tell there was some kind of hatred from Aurora to Meg. Most likely she was jealous that Meg was dating the quarterback, and in Aurora's eyes, as the captain she had the right to the quarterback and not meg, who in her eyes, was a nobody.

One of the cheerleaders, Helen, had glimmering eyes towards Adonis as well. Meg was cheering, it concerned Belle she didn't appear to notice. Pep rallies usually annoyed Belle, she found them rather irritating to g to. She went with Meg because she knew that Meg wanted to see Adonis. After all, that's what you got when you were the quarterbacks girlfriend. When the pep rally was over the school came down from the bleachers onto the gym floor.

Meg ran off, leaving Belle and Rapunzel alone. "Let's go!" Rapunzel tried to shout to belle over the noise.

Belle nodded and they tried to push their way through the crowd. "I'll meet you outside!" Rapunzel shouted.

Again, Belle nodded to Rapunzel. Her golden locks soon disappeared into the crowd. Belle tried to follow her but couldn't manage to keep her path. Soon, all trace of Rapunzel was gone.

Belle tried to get out of the gym. Although she did not have many fears, dealing with a mob of high school students was not on her list of things she enjoyed. She tried to push trough the crowd. She saw the door out and saw a way to a clear path through the crowd. She was about break for the door when her foot caught.

She threw her hands down to break her fall as she fell to the gym floor. Every part of her body hurt. She opened her eyes and blinked several times. She tried to scramble to get up. There were people laughing all around her. She pulled herself off the floor, and dusted her knees off. She examined herself to found the only real damage was to one of her knee high socks. She wasn't able to buy a new pair anytime soon, so she would have to mend it. She looked around, but Rapunzel had to be long gone. Her eyes stung and her thoughts were blurry as she tried to make her way to the door. She ran into someone on the her path, blurred by tears. "Watch it," the voice growled.

She looked up to see a tall boy with long tousled hair. "What are you staring at? you got something to say to me? want to make fun of me?" he growled.

"N-n-o!" she stuttered

"well then move doll face!"

Hot tears rolled down her face as she made it to the door.

As she exited the gym, she saw no trace of Rapunzel. She looked around, and spotted Pascal on the ground. He looked at her and then scurried away. Belle tried to follow him,and found Rapunzel at the end of his path. Belle and Rapunzel sat in silence. Rapunzel didn't ask about Belles frazzled look. They sat in silence as people poured out of the gym. They waited for Meg so they could walk home.

Finally they saw Meg walk out on Adonis' arm. "Hey ladies!" She called. "I'm going home with Adonis!"

Belle and Rapunzel waved and began to make their way home. "Are you ok?" Rapunzel asked.

"Wha- oh yeah I'm fine." Belle replied, tears still rolling down her cheeks.

They walked down her street and she waved as she walked up the path to her home. "Be good to your mother!" Belle called.

Rapunzel laughed as she rolled her eyes. Belle opened her front door. She walked through her entryway and called to her father. He welcomed her home from up the stairs. Just as she did every night, she sat down to start homework and prepare dinner.

After she ate dinner with her father, she sat down to read a book. Her eyelids grew heavy and she slipped away into a dream.

In her dream she was in some sort of palace. The palace had a huge library, which went on forever. "Are you happy here?" She heard.

She turned around to see a young man, presumably a prince. "It's so lovely!" She replied.  
The prince smiled. They sat in a chair and read one of the favorite books together. She wanted it to never end. "Do you love me?" The prince asked.

She was shocked at this sudden question. "Yes," she said quietly.

"Then you will look past what the eye can see." The prince said solemnly.

The room became brighter. "Belle! Belle! Dear Neptune don't make me drag you out of here!"

Belle's eyes fluttered open. Meg was standing across the room. Belle jumped. "Meg?"

"That's my name, come one sleeping beauty it's time for school!"

"How did you-?"

"Your dad let me in. Now lets go!"

Belle rushed upstairs from the library. She jumped in the shower. Hair stil wet, buttoned her blouse and tucked it into her skirt. She pulled on a new pair of socks and slipped her shoes on. She grabbed her school bag and rushed out the door with Meg. They walked along to school and Meg talked about how she and Adonis hung out after the rally.

Belle, however, was not listening. She was thinking about the dream she had had the previous night. The prince was so handsome, if only he were real. She kept thinking about what he had said. She didn't know why this dream was bothering her.

"Belle you know, you're really pretty, have you ever had your own man?" Meg asked.

"No, but it's ok, I don't need a man. I'm fine the way I am."

As they walked into the from gate of the school, Belle spotted Gaston. She gave Meg a distressed look. Meg turned and dragged her on a path of the school she had never been on. "Where are we going?" Belle whispered.  
"Follow me, it's the easiest way to avoid Gaston. Most people don't know this path. I doubt that buffoon knows his way back here." Meg replied.

As they walked through the back, Belle saw students she had never seen before. They looked like they didn't want to be seen. She walked carefully through the pass behind Meg. Students were sitting in the shadows looking up at her. Meg made a sharp turn, and Belle missed it. She kept walking gazing around. She came to a halt when she ran into a wall, o what she thought was a wall. She looked up. It was the boy she ran into at the rally.

"What do you want? Do you want to stare at me? Make fun of me? Why have you come here?"

"It was an accident, I was only following a friend, and trying to avoid this guy who-"

"Save your breath. Get out of here!" He growled at her.

She turned around and ran down the path Meg had followed. She continued to think about her dream as she had before Gaston showed up. What could it mean "you will look past what the eye can see"?

"There you are! I thought I had lost you!" Meg called.

"You have no idea." Belle replied


	3. Cinderelly Night and Day

Cinderella darted into the school bathroom to freshen up for work. She pulled on an old pair of torn jeans and an over sized t shirt. She tied her black hi tops up and pulled her hair into a low ponytail, and wrapped a kerchief around her head. She put on her apron and carefully touched her necklace. She closed her eyes , as if in prayer as she held the small crystal between her fingers, it gave her the strength she needed to make it through each day she spent without her mother. She looked in the mirror of the girls' bathroom. Her ice blue eyes pierced the mirror. She stared at her self for a second, then looked away and grabbed her bag to leave.

She heard voices as she left the bathroom, whispers almost. She walked down the empty hallway finding her way to the courtyard. Belle caught up with her on her way out. As Belle tried to ask her something about the meanings of dreams, Cinderella stared hard into the distance. "Never stop dreaming," she muttered as she continued to stare.

"It wasn't like a hope it was like something that happened when I fell asleep!" Belle cried.

Belle had been talking about dream interpretation for the last week. Cinderella didn't know how her recent obsession had come about.

"Well, a dream is a wish your heart makes, when you're fast asleep."

"But what it you have a dream where the same thing keeps happening, it's like the same scenario over and over!" Belle was now exasperated.

"You like to analyze things, I would have thought you would have this figured out, or you are over analyzing and it's driving you insane"

Belle looked at her and tried to figure out what she was staring at.

They walked out through the courtyard. In the distance she saw Gaston and Lefou. That was a situation she didn't want to put herself in right now. "Belle you should go, Gaston is in the distance," she said.

"Thank you, I've been tryimg to avoid him!" Belle said wearily.

As Belle walked away, she saw Ariel walking with Alana and waved. Ariel smiled at her as Alana continued to talk to her, and from what it seemed, scolding her. She made her way to the front gate.

She walked swiftly down the street to Daisy's. talking to Belle had put her off her usual scheduale. As she turned the corner, she felt a thud as she ran into someone. She fell to the floor from the impact. She looked down at her hands, which were now scuffed. Looking down at her knees, she saw that she had been cut through the hole that already existed in her jeans. Her knee was bleeding. As she began to get up she heard laughing, and she looked up. It was Aladdin. "cinderelly? Are you ok?" he mocked her

She stood up and brushed herself off. Her face was growing hot. She heard a group of evil laughter. She immediately saw the source: Jasmine, Aurora, Anastasia, and Drizella. She became red with anger. Trying to keep her cool, she took a deep breath an kept walking. She intentionally pushed by Aladdin and gave him an extra shove.

She left the group still laughing. She didn't have time for this. She turned the corner to the back door of the diner. She pulled the door open and picked her card off the wall to clock in. Just before she could slide it in the machine, she heard, "Cinderella clocking in at 4:01, tardy". It was Cinderella's manager, Jessica.

"sorry, won't ever happen again," she sighed.

"It would be in your best interest to not let it happen again." Jessica muttered

She looked back at Jessica as she walked to her station. She changed from her Hi-tops into her assigned pair of clogs for working in the kitchen. She fixed her hair that had fallen out of place when she fell.

Her station was a dish washing station, consisting merely of a large sink, sponges and buckets for dishes. She walked over to the sink to look in her wash bucket. Suddenly the door to the kitchen flung open. "Girl, Cinderella come over here!"

It was Tiana, one of Cinderella's few friends at work. Cinderella turned to look at her. She sighed and looked down. "why do you let Jessica treat you like that? You weren't late! I saw you out the window when Jasmine's new stupid boyfriend pushed you down!"

"it doesn't matter," she muttered, it was my fault for talking to Belle after school anyway."

"It does matter! Cinderella, Jessica is going to continue to push you around if you don't tell her where to go! You gotta stand up to her!" Tiana cried.

"How can I tell her?" Cinderella turned around sharply.

"You gotta be tough, and stand up for yourself, don't let people walk all over you like your step sisters do!"

Cinderella looked at her, speechless. "What are you doing here?" Tiana asked.

"Trying not to be at home," Cinderella sighed.

"I thought you had bigger hopes for this place!"

"No I just don't want to be at home, and this is my excuse not to be. I hate being home filling the demands of Anastasia and Drizella, cleaning up after them day and night."

"Yet you're still doing the same chores you do at home! You're still washing dishes and mopping up messes just like you do at home"

"I guess you're right."

Tiana stared at her. "Tiana! Table four needs water, and section two needs silverware! Tables twelve and seven need resetting and table six has a broken plate. " A voice called.

Tiana rolled her eyes disgusted. "How am I supposed to do all this?" She muttered. "Coming Jessica!"

Cinderella picked up her bucket of dishes and put them by the sink. She scrubbed her anger and aggression away with her sponge. She knew Tiana was right. She was doing exactly what she hated doing at home. At the same time, she knew she would rather fill the demads of strangers than of her step sisters. As she finished and turned the water off, she heard someone out in the diner walk onto the stage. A tapping on the microphone followed by a "hello?" made her curious. She looked through the servers window. Jessica was at the mic.

Jessica was Mrs. Mouse's idea of good, cheap entertainment. Cheap could not be a better word, as Jessica wasn't very good. Mrs. Mouse didnt want to hire any actual entertainment, she just paid Jessica about $50 extra to sing as well as boss around the dishwashers and busers. The 20 year old want to be singer stood proudly onstage to red hair was flowing down her back. "you had plenty money, 1922,"

The same sensual song she sung everyday at this hour. It drew the attention of all the men sitting alone at the bar. Cinderella turned back to her work. She walked out onto the floor of the diner and began the clean up empty tables.

She let out a sigh, she couldn't stand Jessica, yet there was a part of her that longed to be her. She admired that no matter how terrible and tone deaf she was, she stood up on the stage everyday at 5,7, and 9 to sing. Cinderella longed to sing infront of audiences, but her stage fright stopped her. She knew there was a part of her that held hr back from singing and kept her shy and off the stage. "you let other women make a fool out of you, why don't you do right?" her voice swayed and she stepped off the stage. "like some other men do,"

Cinderella sighed and picked up her bucket of dishes. She filled a second bucket and put them both on a cart to wheel to the back. She was frustrated at the number of dishes there were that she would have to clean. She stopped to watch Jessica's flowing red locks follow her as she moved, her red, floor length dress sparkle in the light, and her heels clack on the floor. She moved with grace across the stage. She looked right at Cinderella and stared at her in the eyes, her sensual look, changed, and she began to get hot with anger, "get outta here...get me some money too!" she tried to control her anger infront of her audience.

Cinderella turned and wheeled the cart back into the kitchen. Once again she put the box by the sink. She pulled the dished out and began to wash. She began to hum to herself as she scrubbed. As she finnished, she heard Jessica finishing, "why don't you do right? Like some other men do!"

The audience cheered. "thank you you're so kind!" she said.

She hung the mic on the stand. The audience continued to cheer. Cinderella could only think that Jessica's audience was as tone deaf as she was. Cinderella heard her heels clacking towards the back doors as she was putting dished back into stacks. Suddenly the back door flew open. "Tina water!" she yelled.

Tiana rolled her eyes at being called Tina, and walked over to the glass rack. She picked one out and went onto the floor to get one of the water pitchers from behind the bar.

"Cindy! Get over here!" she yelled.

Cinderella, upset by being called Cindy, walked over to Jessica. "I never ever want to catch you gazing at me while I'm singing ever again! You realize how much faster you would work if you weren't gazing off daydreaming?" she snarled.

Cinderella gulped and stood motionless. "you would be pretty efficient I think! Tina hurry up with the water I'm parched! First you show up late, and then you slack off, this is unacceptable Cindy! You better make sure you're on top of it, because if I find anything else going wrong you'll be turning your apron in at the end of the night!" she growled through gritted teeth. "Tina!" she yelled.

"I certainly don't know how you're yelling if you're so parched," Tiana muttered.

She walked in with the glass and the pitcher. She slammed the glass on the counter with the pitcher, and water sloshed out. "if you were really so parched, you would pour yourself a glass!" she yelled.

Jessica, still red from yelling at Cinderella, pinned Tiana against the wall. "I'll tell you what, you do what I tell you to, you keep your job, you don't do what I tell you to, I'll have you out by tomorrow morning, are we clear?"

Tiana hung her head and nodded. She walked over to the counter and poured Jessica a glass, and handed it to her.

For the remainder of the night Cinderella and Tiana were relatively quite, giving only yes or no when asked a question. At the end of the night, she grabbed her school bag from her cubby hole in the back of the Diner. Cinderella packed her things up and walked back home where she would have to serve her own step mother and step sisters.

She continued doing chores at home and thought about what Tiana had said. She had thought about when she first applied for the job and how she thought that by now she would be working as a server or a waitress. She had been working at the diner for several months now, and plenty of other people had come and gone and been promoted to being servers. Even Tiana, who started sweeping the diner, got to get drinks from the bar.

She now was washing the entry hall of the Tremaine household. She scrubbed each marble tile until it shone. Just as she was finishing, Lucifer, the Tremaine's satanic cat peered around the corner. She saw him just in time to watch the cat tramp all over the freshly washed floor and cover it with muddy paw prints. "Lucifer!"she cried in disbelief.

The cat looked at her with piercing yellow eyes. Cinderella threw her rag on the floor and began to cry. "Cinderella!" Anastasia called.

Cinderella looked up to see the tremaine's dog, Bruno sitting by her. "It's no use Bruno," she said, tears streaking her face.

The dog laid his head in her lap. She scratched his head. The dog began to whine as she sobbed. "Cinderella!" Anastasia called again.

She began to get up and took her bucket into the kitchen. She filled it and carried it in the entry hall and put her rag next to it. she turned around and walked upstairs. As she reached Anastasia's room, Anastasia handed her a basket of clothing to wash. She nodded to her step sister and took it back downstairs. She took it to the wash room and left it, she would finish it after she finished the floor. She returned back to the entry hall and began to wash the floor again. Bruno walked slowly back to his bed in the kitchen.

She hummed as she scrubbed the floor once again. She sang a song she often heard her step sisters singing in their private lessons. She finally finished, looked around for Lucifer, and found him nowhere in sight.

As she continued on to the wash, she noticed his peering yellow eyes in the corner of the wash room. She picked him up and trapped him under the laundry basket, and placed the iron on top to ensure he would not escape. She continued to wash blouses, skirts and knee socks for her step sisters and her self. She carefully folded them and placed them in stacks of their owner.

When she finished she picked up the basket and picked Lucifer up as he struggled and put the laundry in the basket. She carried him upstairs to Anastasia's room. She knocked once for permission to enter. Once granted, she entered, left the basket and Lucifer and closed the door behind her. She smiled at the satisfaction of trapping Lucifer where he can't get out.

As she walked away she heard him scratch at Anastasia's door. She smiled because she knew her step sister was too lazy to let him out. She continued down the hallway to Drizella's room. She dropped off her laundry and continued to her own room.

Once her chores were done, she began her homework. She continued to contemplate what Tiana had said. She worked through her school work and decided she would think about it in the morning. When her night finally came to a close, she curled up on her bed, only to be awakened by the sun the next morning


	4. Alice in the Middle

Alice walked to her locker before she left school. There was a note that fell to the ground as she opened it. She bent down and picked it up, carefully unfolding it. It was an intricate swirl with what looked like a smile over it. She folded it grabbed her books and locked her locker. She kept the note in her hand as she walked to the front of the school. She walked across the courtyard of the school, still thinking about the note. she continued onto the street, where she heard snickering. Curious she peered around the corner, to see the group, who called themselves the lost boys, huddled over something. She hurried up to her street when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around. "hello!"

"Peter you scared me!" she cried.

"nice to see you too Alice." he grinned.

"what brings you here?" she asked.

"I came up here to hang out with Wendy this afternoon." he smiled.

Peter and Wendy were sophomores at W. Disney High. Alice had known Wendy for a long time, almost since she had moved to her new house in fifth grade. She used to spend a lot of time with Wendy until Peter met her in seventh grade. Alice felt alone most of the time. She was grateful for her friends, but even still she didn't feel like she fit in. Alice was very smart for her age. She was quiet and shy because she didn't want to turn people away. She watched Peter knock on Wendy's door and she entered her own front door. She didn't want to see Peter and Wendy together. Mathilda was inside reading. "good afternoon Alice." she called without looking away from her book.

"good afternoon Mathilda." she replied. She never understood why they had to be so formal. She stood in the room waiting for a reply, which never came.

She skipped upstairs and sat on her bed. As she put her books down, the note fluttered to the floor. She pulled out the work for the afternoon. She began to wonder how anyone could exist under the pressure of school at all. She worked late into the night and her eyes became heavy. She heard voices outside her open window. It was Wendy saying goodbye to Peter.

She finished her work and dressed for bed. Her parents weren't home, and she said goodnight to Mathilda. She rushed upstairs and assured her rabbit had enough food and water for the night. Then she crawled into bed, and her eyes slowly closed.

Alice began to dream. She was used to dreaming about falling, but this dream was different. She dreamt she was in a garden with her sister when suddenly she followed her rabbit and fell down a strange hole in the garden. She was trapped in a room. The room had an endless ceiling and no doors and no windows. She began to cry as she realized she was trapped.

A strange ring filled her ears as she awoke. It was time to start a new day. She looked at the sunny weather and put on a fresh skirt, blouse, and knee socks. She brushed her hair, and tied her usual navy bow to match her uniform. She ran downstairs and grabbed her bag. She walked out the door to meet Wendy.

Wendy droned on about how she thought she may have feelings for Peter, and how she wasn't sure how it hadn't happened before now. Alice kept thinking about her dream. She suddenly remembered the note she had found in her locker and how it had fallen to the floor. "Do you think Peter likes me?" Wendy asked.

Alice gave her a blank stare. "Oh Alice, please be honest!"

"If you want me to answer that question, I cannot be honest because there is no certain out come." Alice replied.

Wendy looked at her, processing what she had just said. Wendy frowned. She looked down and kicked at the ground.

Alice waved to Wendy as she walked to meet Rapunzel in the courtyard. Rapunzel smiled as she met her. She walked thought the hallway with Rapunzel. She stopped to enter her English classroom, and said goodbye to Rapunzel. She entered the classroom and sat quietly in an empty desk. The door opened again, and Peter entered. He sat down next to Alice.

"Alice, have you ever been stuck in a really difficult situation?"

"Many times, yes" she replied, not looking at him.

His voice lowered, "I'm thinking that I have feelings for Wendy, but I also have feelings for Tiger Lily."

Alice looked at him. "I'm probably not the best person to be telling this to,"

"But you and Wendy are best friends!"

"I just think you should confront a different person, or Wendy or someone!"

"Alice, you're the only one I trust with this!"

"I don't want to be stuck in the middle of this Peter!"

The bell rang for class to start. Alice looked back down at her desk. Peter stared up at the ceiling. The class was asked to take out their books and begin reading. Alice began skimming the lines. She noticed Peter glancing over at her.

When class was over, Alice grabbed her bag and darted out the door. "Alice!" Peter called after her.

Alice didn't want to get stuck between Peter and Wendy. She ignored Peter. He got stuck in a crowd and tried to follow her. "Alice please!" He called through the hallway.

Alice continued to storm through the hallway, she didn't glance back once. She ran into Cinderella on her way to her math class. "What's going on?" Cinderella asked.

"Peter wants me to tell him to pick either Wendy or Tiger Lily."

"Don't tell him, it should be his choice."

"I tried to tell him but he wouldn't listen."

Cinderella frowned. She was surprised at the sudden departure Alice had at her classroom door. Alice waved to Cinderella.

As she sat through math she began to day dream. A common occurrence for her. She thought about cats having the ability to talk. She mindlessly began to doodle on her notebook, and she drew a smile. The smile seemed familiar, but she couldn't tell from where.

When the bell rang, she packed her things into her bag. As she walked through the halls, she remembered the smile she drew was like the smile on the note. She stopped at her locker to put a fer books away and pickup her history text book.

She pushed her way through the busy hallway. She reached her history classroom, and too her usual seat by Wendy. She looked at Wendy, who had not noticed she had sat down. Wendy was drawing on a piece of paper. Alice looked at the paper and noticed it was full of cursive writing that said "Wendy and Peter" and "Mrs. Peter Pan".

Wendy looked up, just noticing Alice had arrived. She blushed, and crumpled the paper into a ball. She smiled at Alice. "So Alice you and Peter have English together, yes?"

Alice covered her ears. "Wendy I'm not going to be in the middle of this, and I'm not going to be your messenger!"

Wendy looked taken aback. "Fine Alice! Don't come to me with your problems!"

Wendy turned back to her notebook. Alice looked down, other students now looking in their direction.

Wendy smiled at them apologetically. Alice kept her head down. When class was over she gathered her things and left Wendy.

She walked down the hallway holding back tears. She reached the door of her French class and pulled it open. She sat down in her usual seat. Madam Carlotta got the attention of the class. "My students, I am happy to announce that we have a new student, Tiger Lily, joining our class. She is transferring from my second period class."

Alice's face grew hot, she was now in the center of the love triangle. "Tiger Lily," Madam Carlotta began, "there is an empty desk next to Alice."

Tiger Lily smiled and sat down next to Alice. Alice faked a smile as she sat down. "I hear you're good friends with Peter Pan," she said curiously.

"We, you know," she said blushing, "associate."

Tiger Lily laughed. Alice nervously faked a smile. She didn't need this on top of the drama between Peter and Wendy. "Peter and I have been acquaintances since we were young." Tiger Lily said dreamily.

Alice looked at her. She didn't know how to take this. She couldn't tell if Tiger Lily was trying to hint at her love for Peter, or if she was trying to assert that she had known Peter longer than Alice.

When the bell rang for lunch, Alice let out a sigh of relief. Tiger Lily tried to catch up with Alice, but Alice left as quickly as possible to lose her. Alice stormed across the courtyard, to their usual tree. Rapunzel was walking with Cinderella in the distance. When Alice arrived at the tree, Belle was sitting and reading. Belle looked up from her book, "hello Alice."

Alice sat down and sighed. "I'm stuck in the middle of a love triangle between Peter, Wendy, and Tiger Lily. Wendy likes Peter, Tiger Lily likes Peter, and Peter has feelings for them both."

"Ah, to be young and in love," Belle smiled.

"What do you have to stand for, you've never been in a relationship!" Cinderella laughed.

Belle frowned. Cinderella continued to giggle as she sat down. Alice loved her best friends, after all the frustration she had so far, they made her forget it. Rapunzel talked about her frustration with a kid named Jim in her history class and how Dr. Doppler appears to favor him. Belle described her daily escape from Gaston.

Hanging out with her friends always cleared Alice's mind. All too soon, the bell rang and she was off to science. She tried to slip into her science class with no one noticing her. As she tried to sneak in and sit in a desk in the back corner, her toe got stuck on the corner or a desk and she came crashing to the floor. As her head hit the floor, she shut her eyes, and everything became scrambled.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" She heard.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw a boy with firery red hair. Her thoughts scrambled as she tried to recognize the face, but she came up with nothing. "I'll carry her to the nurse!" The boy said.

She felt him pick her up, she wanted to resist, but couldn't. Her thoughts were still scrambled as he carried her to the nurse. When they reached the health office, he put her down. The nurse asked for her name, and the boy was at a loss of words. "I'm sorry, I don't know who she is, I'm just trying to help her."

The nurse muttered something back to him and tried searching her files. The boy offered to grab an ice pack for Alice. The nurse nodded and mumbled. The boy got up and got an ice pack, and handed it to Alice. As she tried to grab it,he moved her blonde locks off her shoulders, and put the ice to her head.

"W-who are you?" She managed to stutter.

"The name is Thomas," he smiled, "and you are?"

"Alice Liddell."

The nurse pulled her file out. She excused Thomas while Alice rested. Alice rested on a cot, and drifted to sleep.

As she slipped into a dream, the sensation of falling tingled through her body. She was trapped once again in the room with no windows and no doors. She was frustrated as she realized she had been here in a dream before. She noticed a table with a small box on it. She decided to explore, and look in the box. "Alice?" She heard.

She turned around, but no one was there. She heard someone call her again. "Can you hear me?"

Suddenly her eyes fluttered open and Belle, Cinderella, and Rapunzel were standing over her. She sat up. "It's time to go home," Belle said softly.

She looked at them. She slowly stood up. The nurse waved as they walked out. "We need to get you home to your sister!" Belle cried.

Cinderella walked with them until she got to the cross road where she usually turned to go to work.

"Today has been an adventure. " Alice announced. "I've changed so much since this morning, you see," her voice trailed off.

Belle looked at her, "so what happened that caused you to go to the nurse?"

"I was on my way to my seat, when my toe got caught and I fell and hit my head on the floor, and a boy in my class carried me to the nurse. "

"How romantic!" Rapunzel squealed

"This day has been anything but romantic! First there was Peter, who was trying to tell me about how he's stuck between Wendy and Tiger Lily. Then there was Wendy who tried to talk to me about Peter. And aside from that, Tiger Lily was transferred into my French class, and she was questioning me about Peter as well! Then to finish it off I tripped and fell and hit my head and spent my science class and PE class in the nurse's office!"

Belle and Rapunzel's eyes widened at the summary of her day. Alice nodded, and decided to leave out the details of the dream she had in the nurse's office.

"Go home and take a breath," Belle encouraged.

"It would be so nice if something made sense for a change," Alice said softly.

She reached her front door and glanced back only once to wave to her two friends.


	5. Senior year-at last!

Everyone told her right, senior year was the best. Meg couldn't help but smile at this thought. She couldn't imagine her life any other way. Her friends were simply the best, they were always there for her. Her boyfriend, Adonis, was amazing. He loved her like no other guy ever had. She knew they were young and things like marriage were years away, but she just felt so right about him. She was saddened that she would have to leave her best friends behind at the end of the year. Meg was the kind of person who didn't look at life like that. She always looked to the moment and enjoyed it to the fullest.

Now a month into her senior year, Meg was sitting, posed, on a stool in a royal blue graduation gown. Her curly Grecian hair was pulled up in a high ponytail. As the photographer was getting the camera ready, Meg admired the sleeves of her gown. She couldn't believe it was already happening. The photographer asked her to look as the camera, and gasped at her striking violet eyes.

Meg was used to this, she was aware having purple irises was not considered "normal". She couldn't help it, she was just born that way. She flashed her alluring smile to the photographer and he snapped the camera. His assistants then put a fake diploma in her hand and he snapped another. She didn't really care, all she cared was the picture for the yearbook looked good.

When she was finished, she left with Esmerelda and Quasi. Esmerelda ran her fingered through her curly, raven hair. "Those photographers always try to do weird stuff to my hair to make it 'look better'" she mocked.

Meg and Quasi laughed. "Whenever I look at the camera, the photographers always get freaked out over my violet eyes!" Meg said, still laughing.

As Meg Parted ways with Emerelda and Quasi, she walked up her street. She reached her house and entered the empty house. She made her way up the stairs to her room. She looked over at the picture of Adonis on her wall and smiled. As she glanced at her calendar, she remembered there was a home football game tomorrow night. W. Disney was in a winning streak. Meg wasn't really into football before she met Adonis, but that had all changed. She liked to cheer almost more than the cheerleaders.

She enjoyed watching Adonis play at football games. She was proud to be his girlfriend. It got a little irritating that people would whisper, "thats the quarterback's girlfriend!" but she took it in with pride. Sometimes they even let her sit down on the field to watch. She didn't really care to talk to the other players, however, she became aquainted with the water boy, Rider as they called him. She talked to him during the games and learned he hung out with the Stabbington brothers most of the time. He was tall and carried a modest build. He looked scrawny compared to the Stabbington brothers, but standing alone, one might call him muscular. He had straight brown hair, and a charming smile. He was a bit shy at first but warmed up to her.

They sat watching the game. Tonight, W. Disney High was playing their arch nemesis, S. Spielburg High School. Everyone knew this would not be a boring game. Tensions were high between the students of both sides.

"You know for all this time I've been water boy I've never really understood the game, I hate to admit." Rider said.

"I didn't really understand it until I met Adonis." Meg replied.

"Adonis, right" Rider replied, kicking at the grass.

"You know we're dating, right chum?" Meg asked, "I'm Meg, the quarterback's girlfriend." Meg said in a mocking animated tone.

"Yeah, I...I heard that."

Meg began to teach Ryder the game as he waited for his signal for water. She taught him when to cheer. She was cheering for Adonis as he was about to make a touchdown. Rider knew when a touchdown was made he would get the signal for water.

Suddenly, Adonis was hit from the side by a player from the other team. Refs were blowing whistles like crazy. The timer stopped and Adonis lay motionless on the field. There was a gasp from the crowd. The coach waved the sign for Rider. He began to get up and Meg rose with him. "you need to stay." he said holding his hands up.

"but," she sputtered, feeling the blood rushing out of her face, her legs began to shake with nerves.

"trust me on this one, stay." he said backing away slowly, grabbing water, and running onto the field.

Meg felt a tingling in her throat and tears welling up In her eyes. She hugged her legs on the bench. Players on the bench from W. Disney came around her. She felt one hug her and whisper, " he'll be fine."

She covered her face with her hands and hot tears rolled down her cheeks. She felt the arms of one of the other players, Shang Li, wrap around her. "He's tough, he's strong, he can shake it off, no problem."

Now the paramedics were down on the field. She saw them lifting him onto a stretcher. Meg watched, horrified. She was now sobbing, and she looked at Shang, tears were rolling down his cheeks. Rider came running back to the bench. "they're barely getting a response from him, they're taking him down to the hospital now."

Meg looked at him. "they told me to offer if you want to ride in the ambulance with him."

She nodded, and slowly stood up. She hugged Shang, and he wiped a tear off her cheek. "He's strong," he whispered.

Rider hugged her and walked her over to the ambulance. They ushered her inside and closed the door. She sat over Adonis' head. She looked at his eyes closed, his lips parted. A tear rolled down her cheek and landed on his forehead. "how is he?" she asked.

The paramedic looked at her, "our guess is he has a mild concussion. He was hit from the side and the other player hit his head right in the side."

She looked at him and then back down at Adonis. The hospital was only a short ride away from the school, but it seemed to take forever. When they arrived, Meg was stuck in a waiting room while he was tested. She sat alone crying.

Meanwhile, Belle was enjoying her Friday evening at home, reading. Football games weren't really her thing, she mostly went to satisfy Meg. She decided to skip the game against Spielburg High because she knew that the students would get out of control, like they did every year. She peacefully turned the page of Jack and the Beanstalk, and continued reading.

"Belle?" Her father called from downstairs.

She sighed and placed the ribbon from her hair in her book and closed it. She placed it on her nightstand and slipped her slippers on and walked downstairs. "Yes Papa?" She replied as she walked down the stairs.

"You have a visitor waiting at the door," Maurice replied.

As Belle stepped carefully into the entryway of their house she saw her father at the door with a boy. She looked at the boy. "Phoebus?" She whispered.

He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry to, er, interrupt you, but I came here from the football game, to uh, inform you that your friend, Meg has gone to the hospital with Adonis."

Bella's eyes widened. She choked trying to find anything to say to him. "I just wanted to inform you, I know you two are very close," he said solemnly.

"Wh-wh-what for?" She stuttered.

"Adonis took a pretty bad blow to the head, knocked him out, they think he has a concussion."

"Will you take me to the hospital, I'm afraid I don't know the way! Just let me grab a jacket!" She cried.

Belle ran up the stairs to her room, and grabbed a jacket laying on the back of her chaise. She slipped on a pair of shoes, still in her pajamas. "You ready to go?" Phoebus asked, looking at her pajamas.

"It's fine, we just need to go," she said, "Papa I'm leaving!" She called.

They walked out the front door. Belle put trust in Phoebus, as they had been friends when they were little.

He lived just down the street from her, and she met him on her first day of kindergarten, when her father was walking her to school. Phoebus was a year older than her, but neither of them really cared about that. When Phoebus started junior high, he left Belle, and wanted to hang out with his "cooler" friends. Belle was hurt that a friendship she valued so much meant so little to him. Since she had started high school, she saw him around, but they never really talked. However, she had never lost hope that one day they would be friends again. She was shocked to see him at her door.

"We need to go to Rapunzel's house, and Daisy's Diner to get Cinderella before we get there." She said sternly.

He looked at her and nodded, there was a softness in his eyes. He followed her down a couple blocks to Rapunzel's house. Phoebus watched as Belle hoped climbed the back gate. He could see her on the side of the house, and she pulled a long string hanging out of a window on the second floor. Another cord dropped down with a basket attached. She pulled out a pen and a note pad and scrawled something on it. She pulled the string again and the basket got pulled back up to the window. Belle climbed the gate and returned to the driveway where Phoebus was standing. "Is that some type of code?" He asked.

"Her mother doesn't let her go out so we communicate with her like that so she know when she needs to go somewhere." Belle replied.

"Seems pretty elaborate," Phoebus chuckled.

A few minutes later, Rapunzel came out the front door. Her face looked concerned, and she was taken aback by Phoebus.

"We'll explain on the way," Belle whispered.

Rapunzel nodded. She looked as though she was about to ask about Phoebus, but decided not to.

They hurried down the street and burst into Daisy's Diner. "can I help you?" Jessica's smooth voice asked.

"we're looking for Cinderella." Belle cried.

"What for?" Jessica asked.

"Look, we're kind of in a hurry, so if you could please just get her so we can talk to her." Belle snapped.

Jessica rolled her eyes. She got up and made her way to the back.

While they waited, Belle and Phoebus began to explain to Rapunzel what had happened. Belle explained how she had known Phoebus for a long time, but they had stopped talking. She knew Rapunzel would understand.

Rapunzel nodded. Belled looked out into the diner. She saw Cinderella busing a table in the distance. Jessica walked over to her and talked to her. Cinderella took her bucket of dishes and handed them to Tiana nearby. Cinderella rushed over. "what's wrong?" she asked.

"football game, Adonis, hospital with meg." Belle answered.

Cinderella nodded, looked at Phoebus, and hurried back over to Tiana who at first looked concerned but then smiled and nodded. She rushed back over and said," Tiana will finish my shift." She said, out of breath.

They hurried down to the hospital. They hurried into the hospital and enter the emergency room. Belle looked to Phoebus to lead the way. They found themselves in the lobby where Meg was sitting in the corner crying. "Meg!" Belle calls.

There was no response. "Megara!" She called.

Meg looked up, peeling her hands away from her face. Her face was red and blotchy, and she has mascara running down her cheeks. Her usual magenta eyeshadow and black eyeliner were smeared on her eyes as well. She was sniveling, and her eyes were puffy. Her hands were damp with tears, and makeup. Belle pulled her jacket off and wrapped it around he. She sat in a chair next to Meg. Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Phoebus followed suit. "Meg, we all know Adonis is strong, this is just a little bump in the road for him, he'll be fine." Belle said calmly.

A nurse comes out to tell meg she could see him. Meg, still sobbing runs in to see him. Belle follows her. She looks at Cinderella and Rapunzel to signal for them to wait. The doctor informed Meg that Adonis has slipped into a coma. Meg becomes hysterical, and dropped to her knees. Belle rushes to try to calm her down. Belle excuses herself to the waiting room. She grabs Cinderella and takes her into the room to take Meg out.

When they reentered the room, Cinderella wraps and arm around Meg and ushers her out. The doctors told Belle his parents had been notified. Belle nodded and took in the information. The nurse told Belle he would be moved to intensive care. Belle nodded, and thanked the doctors for their time. She reentered the waiting room, where Cinderella and Rapunzel tried to keep Meg calm.

They left the hospital and walked down the street. It was dark, but clouds appeared to be rolling in. Belle figured the game, if it continued, was well over by now. Meg was still sobbing. Belle tried to explain to Meg what the doctors had told her. They walked her home and bid her goodbye. Cinderella advised her to get some sleep. Meg hung her head as she unlocked her door. She glanced over her shoulder at them, and they watched her solemnly. She sniffled as she closed the door behind her. She looked in the mirror in the entryway, and saw the black streaks down her face.

Meg grabber her school shoes and threw them off. She dropped her school bag by the door. Her parents weren't home, but she didnt care. She walked up the stairs to her Bedroom, sobbing. She picked up the picture frame of her and Adonis and stared at it. Her jaw quivered. She put it back on her dresser. She slumped to the corner of her room and buried her face in her knees.

After about an hour she got up and changed out of her uniform. She put on her pajamas and buried her face in her pillow. She cried herself to sleep hoping the next day would be better.

Belle and Phoebus walked Cinderella and Rapunzel home. None of them said much, there wasnt much to be said. Rapunzel snuck into the back of her house because she figured her mother was probably sleeping. Cinderella waved as she opened the door and held Bruno back.

As Belle and Phoebus were walking down the street, it began to sprinkle. Belle groaned. Phoebus looked at her. Her brown hair whipped freely in the wind, she had forgotten to tie it up before she left. She looked back at him. "I never had the chance to ask you," she began.

He looked at her with curiosity. "Why you did this," her voice trailed off.

"Because I know you and Meg are very close," he replied, "and because I wanted to end this, but I've been afraid to."

She stopped on the sidewalk and looked at him, it was now pouring. "End what?" She said, her throat tingling, her hair damp.

"Belle, I need you to listen and understand." He said slowly. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I ever stopped talking to you. Those guys weren't cooler than you, heck, I don't even hang out with them anymore, I sacrificed our friendship for something I never should have. "

Belle covered her mouth with her hand. Her jaw quivered as she began to shiver in the cold rain. Phoebus pulled his jacket off and placed it around her shoulders. "I'm sorry I was a jerk to you all those years ago. I would have said something sooner, it's just, I thought you would hate me."

Belle began to cry. Phoebus choked on his words, "you were so good to me, and I was a jerk to you, and I have never forgotten about you ever since. You can hate me from now on if you want, I just needed to tell you this. You're the best friend I've ever had."

"I never lost hope that one day you would come around!" Belle cried.

They stood in the rain hugging. They continued on their way back to Belle's house, both of them drenched. When they reached Belle's door, she hugged Phoebus again and thanked him. She handed him his jacket, and he smiled. "It's good to be back." He said.

She smiled. After she shut the door, she skipped up the stairs. She changed her clothes and went to bed, happy to have Phoebus back.

When the weekend was over, Meg couldnt find the strenght to go to school on Monday. She was awake, but didn't feel like she could take all the questioning from her fellow student body. She got dressed in a pair of ripped jeans and a purple tank top. She stared at the clock. 7:30. The time she usually left for school. There was a hard knock at the door. She stood up and slowly walked over to the door. It was Belle. She let her in.

"you're going to school today." she said sternly. "the only way to bounce back is to not let yourself fall out of routine."

She stepped inside, and looked at Meg. She ordered Meg to go upstairs and put on her uniform and grabbed Meg's messanger bag. Meg slumped as she walked back up the stairs.

When she returned she was pulling her hair up into a ponytail. "let's go." Belle ordered.

Meg slipped on her shoes and followed her.

"Don't let this bring you down, you can visit him after school." she said sternly.

Meg was silent. "I know this is difficult, but you need to bounce back." Belle said.

When they arrived at school, Rapunzel and Alice were talking by the front gate. They stopped and looked at Meg and Belle as they approached. Alice and Rapunzel each hugged Meg, and expressed their sorrow for her. Meg tried to bear a smile, but couldn't. When the bell rang for class, Alice and Rapunzel waved as they walked to their respective classrooms. Belle walked Meg to her class, where Esmerelda was standing outside. Esmerelda put an arm around Meg, and signaled to Belle she would take care of her. Belle nodded.


	6. Boys: Good and Bad

Without Adonis, the school fell out of having a high ranking football team. Meg sulked around school. Nearly two weeks later, Adonis was still in intensive care in a coma, with no sign of progress. The school remained solemn for their fallen hero. Rapunzel would go with Meg sometimes to visit him after school. Meg was still emotionally very unstable.

One day at lunch, Rapunzel was playing with Pascal. He was changing shades as he crawled across her book bag. Belle was, once again, reading. Cinderella was talking to Alice about the love triangle between her friends. Meg lay motionless on the bench of a nearby picnic table. She stared up. As far as they could tell, she wasn't staring at anything. She had become significantly less talkative. Pascal crawled over to Meg. Her head turned as he flashed the cool gray of the stone picnic table.

They talked less than usual. They didn't know what to say that wouldn't remind Meg of Adonis. She already had a break down everyday when Aurora did the morning announcements for the school, and reminded the student body how many day it had been since Adonis went to the hospital.

When the bell rang for class, they walked to their respective classrooms. Rapunzel entered her art class and sat at her usual table with Quasi and Esmerelda. "How's Meg?" Esmerelda asked.

"I don't thinks she's doing well, at lunch she just lays on the bench of a picnic table and stares. She never says anything anymore." Rapunzel replied.

Esmerelda sighed. "Poor girl,"

Today they were working with pastels. Rapunzel selected purples and lavenders. She let their chalky substance take control of her paper. Esmerelda was using red and purple to contrast. When the period was over, Rapunzel looked down at her hands, they were covered in purple dust. She tried to wash it off, but it only stained her hands. She shrugged, she only had one period left.

She walked to her choral class. She met Ariel on her way in. "Ariel! Ariel!"

Ariel turned around, it was her sister. She made a sound of disgust and turned around. Rapunzel turned to look at Alana. "Ariel, we need to go to the store after school, I just heard a brand new way to make moisturizer at home! And guess what? It's, like, the fourth of the price of regular moisturizer!"

Ariel rolled her eyes and entered the classroom. Rapunzel followed her. They sat on the risers waiting for Ms Fauna. "Rapunzel, do you ever feel like you'll never find true love?"

Rapunzel stared at her. "I don't really think about it to be honest."

Ariel sighed, "I guess my older sisters always talking about boys just makes me curious. I'm such an outcast, no guy would ever want a girl with bright, in-your-face red hair."

Rapunzel didn't know what to say. Her green eyes stared back at Ariel. Ms. Fauna entered the room and sat at the piano. The class took their places on the risers.

When the day was finally over, Rapunzel walked out to the courtyard with Ariel. Alana ushered her away, as she was in a hurry to leave. Rapunzel walked alone. She saw Belle in the distance walking to the library. Cinderella had probably already left for work. Pascal crawled out onto her shoulder. She smiled. Suddenly, she heard someone sobbing nearby. She looked around, and saw Meg sobbing at one of the picnic tables. "Meg?" She called.

She approached the table and sat down. She gently put her arm around Meg's shoulder. Meg looked at her.

"Well, if it isn't the girlfriend of our fallen hero," a voice rang over Rapunzel and Meg.

Rapunzel turned around. It was Aurora and her gang of cheerleaders. "You never cease to amaze me," Rapunzel snarled.

"What dear? I couldn't hear you!" Aurora snapped.

Rapunzel stood up. "Why can't you leave her alone? You have no idea the stress this is putting on her!"

Aurora laughed maliciously. It was a cue for her fellow cheerleaders to as well.

Pascal crawled out of Rapunzel's bag. Meg watched as he crawled over to Aurora without her noticing. He crawled up to her shoulder, and stuck his tongue in her ear. Aurora began to scream. She was dancing foolishly trying to get him off. He crawled back to the safety of Rapunzel's bag. Aurora was still trying to get him off. The other cheerleaders looked at her,unsure what to do. "Rapunzel!" She growled.

Rapunzel looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "You've done it this time! Get her, and her friend too!"

Rapunzel's eyes widened as she saw the cheerlears look like they were about to charge. She grabbed her bag, pulled Meg by the wrist, and started to run. The cheerleaders split up, Nani and Malina blocking the front gate. Rapunzel pulled Meg into the girls' bathroom and locked them in a stall.

Rapunzel was gasping for air. Meg slumped in the corner,her head in her hands. "Hello?" A sweet voice called.

Rapunzel held her hand over Meg's mouth. From the bottom of the stall she saw six identical feet. Clearly the Bimbettes. Easy to outsmart. "Follow me." She whispered to Meg.

Meg nodded as Rapunzel began to crawl across the bottom of the stalls to their escape. They escaped the girls' bathroom, the Bimbettes still looking for them. Meg looked at Rapunzel and grabbed her wrist as they were running. They quickly outran Lottie. Meg pulled Rapunzel into a sharp turn.

They slowed to a stop and stayed against the wall. Rapunzel was trying to catch her breath. Rapunzel had never seen this part of the school before. It was dark, and dirty. The cement looked like it hadn't seen the sun in years. "Meg what is this place?" Rapunzel asked.

"They call it the underworld. It's where all the misfits hang out. The dark, and the gothic. The ones who can't take the prep and spirit of the school. The ones dying to get out of here."

Rapunzel looked around. It was a damp dark place, that was for sure. Chills ran down her back as they walked through this old dark alley behind the school buildings. "They won't find us here, most of the kids who go here dont even know it exists."

Rapunzel nodded. "RIDER!"

Meg and Rapunzel jumped, and looked at each other. "Shh. We aren't alone." Meg whispered.

They heard footsteps and panting nearby. Meg and Rapunzel hid inside a break in the wall. It was a small indentation, but once inside it was the size of a janitors closet. They sat and waited. The footsteps and panting grew closer. Meg and Rapunzel looked nervously at the crack in the wall. Shadows were moving over the crack. They held their breath, waiting.

A hand was placed on the crack and a foot came through. Meg and Rapunzel backed into the corner as a body entered their hiding place.

It was a young man, laying on the floor panting, struggling to catch his breath. Rapunzel grabbed a wooden stick and poked him with it. He jumped and she hit him with the stick. He was knocked out. Rapunzel moved the straight brown hair that was covering his face. Meg gasped. It was Rider, the water boy.

Pascal crawled out from Rapunzel's bag, and examined the boy. He then proceeded to stick his tongue in his ear and Rider woke with a start.

He sat up and looked around. "Who are you?" Rapunzel interrogated.

He looked at her, " the name's Flynn Rider,"

"And what do you intend to do to us, Flynn Rider?"

"I intend to do nothing but get away from here,"

"Something brought you here,"

"Clayton? About ready to rearrange my face?"

Rapunzel glared at him. "Look Blondie, as soon as the coast is clear, I will be happily on my way."

Meg emerged from the shadow. "Sounds like a fair deal Rider."

"Would it be unfair to ask what you two were doing in here?"

"Vengeful Cheerleaders." Meg replied.

She looked at Flynn for a moment and her tough stature was broken as her face softened. "I've been meaning to thank you for all your help the day Adonis went to the hospital, it means a lot to me."

"it's no problem," he blushed.

She noticed he was staring at Rapunzel. Rapunzel was oblivious to his gaze. "thanks again," Meg said softly.

"no problem, I'll see you around. Bye blondie!" he calls after as he exited their hiding place.

Rapunzel frowns at being called Blondie. Meg looks at her and then motions toward their exit. They climb through the crack. Meg led Rapunzel out of the underworld. They walked across the courtyard to find no one but Belle leaving the front gate. "Belle!" Rapunzel called.

Belle looked over at them, and started to walk towards them. They explained how they were on their way to the hospital when they were attacked by cheerleaders. Belle was shocked.

They walked down the street to the hospital. They entered the main lobby. "We're here to see Adonis," Rapunzel told the secretary at the desk.

She nodded, by now she recognized them. "The doctor was just observing his condition today," she commented, "I'll take you girls back there."

When they arrived at his floor, the doctor was talking to one of the nurses. His face lit up when he saw Meg. "is he any better?" Meg asked.

"no," the doctor frowned, shaking his head.

The sight of the doctor frightened Rapunzel. He looked shady, and seemed to have an evil air about him. He stared down at his clipboard for a long time as meg began to sob. "there is one thing," he began.

Rapunzel and Belle's eyes widened with fright. "I can strike you a little deal, Sweetheart. I have a new experimental drug that could either cure Adonis, or kill him. If you want I can test it out on him."

Meg looked at the ground for a long time. "but doctor!" Belle broke the silence.

"aren't you supposed to ask his parents for permission?"

The doctor winked at her," it'll be out secret, right Sweetheart?"

Meg stared at him for a long time. " I'll let you do it."

"alright but here's the catch, this drug is tiring to make. I'm going to need you here everyday after school to make it for me if it works."

"deal." Meg sighs.

She follows the doctor into the back room to sign paperwork. Rapunzel looks at Belle. "she should have said no." Belle whispered.

Rapunzel nodded. They sat in silence waiting for Meg to return. When Meg returned the girls left. Meg still stared at the ground as they walked home. "what if it kills him?" she asked.

"well he's isn't much better off in a coma in the hospital." Belle replied.

The next day at school, Rapunzel was explaining her adventure with Meg to Cinderella. When the bell rang for class she walked alone to history, hoping to see Jane. As she walked, her mind drifted, and she ran into someone. She tripped and dropped her bag, spilling its contents everywhere. Pascal sprinted up her arm and hid in her hair. The other person frantically tried to help her regain the contents of her bag. When all was stuffed back into her bag, she looked at the person, it was Rider. He flashed her a smile. "who are you, and what do you want with me?" she screamed.

"whoa. Whoa. Easy." he grinned.

"I don't have time for this" she muttered.

He flashed her a dashing smile. She stared at him. "This is kind of an off day for me," he began, "this doesn't usually happen."

She rolled her eyes and walked away.

She walked to class. She sat down in English next to Cinderella. "hey Ellie, you know the water boy from the football team? Rider?"

Cinderella looked up from her notebook. "I'm not particularly friendly with him why?"

"I don't know. He keeps running into me. I see him everywhere."

"maybe it's fate."

"if I didn't know any better I'd say he fancies Meg."

Cinderella looked at her. "thats ridiculous. Everyone knows Meg is seeing Adonis."

"I know." Rapunzel sighed.

She looked at her own notebook as Mr. Thatch fiddled with the projector. He adjusted his glasses. "I'm so sorry this just isn't working class."

Rapunzel didnt know why Flynn Rider was bothering her so much. Usually she brushed these kimd of things off, but not him. She stared around the room, and for the first time noticed a picture frame on he desk. It was a picture of Mr. Thatch and a mysterious looking girl. She had white hair and eyes that shone like crystals. She wore a pendant of a crystal around her neck. Rapunzel recalled their peculiar English teacher examining Cinderella's pendant on the first day of school. The bell ringing broke Rapunzel's wandering thoughts. As she was waking to her science class, a young boy approached her. "excuse me miss?"

She looked down. "uh, hello?" she replied.

"you are friends with Miss Belle, correct?"

"yes, I am"

"excellent could you give this to her?"

He handed her a gold envolope. She gently took it and slid it into her bag. As she walked into her science class she saw Jasmine and Aladdin sucking face by the door. Repulsed, she looked away. She sat down in her regular seat. A new student, sat down next to her. He was blushing,"I just transferred to this class, how's the teacher?" he asked.

"she's...she's a trip." Rapunzel replied.

"Ferdinand, it's a pleasure to meet you. You're so beautiful."

Rapunzel turned bright pink, "th-thank you, you're so kind, I'm Rapunzel."

"I had to choose my seat so I chose the one next to the prettiest girl." he smiled.

Rapunzel felt herself blushing for the rest of the period. He smiled at her as Professor Amelia took attendance. She tied up her golden locks for the chemical lab, and could not look Ferdinand in the eye. His brown hair fell just the right way. His hazel eyes had an energetic shine to them she didn't want to look away, but she didn't want to stare.

When the bell rang she pulled her long thick hair out and let it hang free. Ferdinand took their chemicals and put them on a tray. He began to walk to the front of the classroom, but suddenly tripped, running right into Rapunzel and spilling the chemicals all over her. He fell ontop of her pinning her to the ground. Tears welled up in his eyes, " I'm so sorry! I'm, I'm such a klutz! I'm so stupid!"

Rapunzel, rubbing her head where it hit the hard linoleum floor looked at him as he tried to get up. He frantically got off her and was trying to collect the shards of broken beakers and test tubes. She sat up. She was dizzy at first, but managed to sit up straight.

Ferdinand helped her up, and offered to walk her to the nurse. She told him she was fine, and walked to lunch.

When she met her friends under their usual tree, her head was still throbbing. She looked down at her blouse to see the holes the chemicals had burned in it. Pascal popped out of her bag and ran up her shoulder. She picked him up. "I'm fine," she smiled.

She couldn't have been any worse. Her head was throbbing from her fall, her shirt was ruined, Rider was on her mind, and she had no idea what to think about Ferdinand. She then remembered her strange encounter with the boy before science. She took the envelope out of her bag and handed it to Belle. Belle frowned as she opened it.

As Belle read, Rapunzel examined the damage the chemicals had done to her blouse. It wasn't bad, she could make it throu the end of the day. She looked at Pascal and smiled, but he could definatly see right through it


	7. Miracles and Frustrations

Belle's brow furrowed as she pulled out an ornate looking card. On the inside was an invitation to a party hosted by Gaston. "figures" she muttered throwing it next to her bag.

"have any of you met Ferdinand yet?" Rapunzel asked.

The three girls shook their heads. "Why?" Cinderella asked.

"I met him today in Chemistry. he came new to our class. He told me i was the prettiest girl in the class. then he spilt the chemicals from our lab on me, he seemed so nervous around me." Rapunzel replied, dreamily.

The girls relaxed under their tree. Meg looked up at the clouds. "we are still going to see Adonis after school, right?"

"of course," Belle replied, "I don't mean to be a downer, but Meg you have to be willing to accept whatever happens to him."

Meg stared at her. She twisted one of her curls around her finger. "I hope he's ok. I really have never felt this way about anyone before, and to lose him, I can't even think about."

Alice was searching for a lipgloss in her bag. She reached her hand into a pocket and pulled out the note she had found in her locker. She unfolded it, looked at it, and folded it up again. She carefully placed it back in the pocket.

Cinderella helped Rapunzel braid her thick hair. Rapunzel pulled out her sketch book and flipped through the pages, each one containing a sun. She touched up her very latest sketch right before art class. When lunch was over, Rapunzel walked alone to art.

Belle was on her way to English. On her way, she saw Jane. Jane's face lit up as she saw Belle. They walked into Mrs. Radcliffe's room together. They sat down in their usual seats, on opposite sides of the class room. Belle chatted lightly with Jane at Belle's desk. When the tardy bell rang, Mrs. Radcliffe stood up. "Ladies and gentleman take your seats! Hurry, hurry, we have a lot to talk about today! Miss Porter take your seat!"

The class settled in and waited for direction. "Alright Ladies and Gentleman, today we are going to discuss your research project. Your projects will be due when you come back from your winter holiday. Now you will all be working in pairs, and demonstrating skills of cooperation. I will choose your partners. Any questions?" Mrs. Radcliffe instructed.

Belle looked across the room at Jane. Jane returned a hopeful look. Mrs. Radcliffe fingered through some papers. "Now for your partners. Everyone will be working with the person in the row next to them." She explained.

Belle looked at her assigned partner. It was a guy who was very quiet and often kept to himself. She didn't think she had noticed he was in her class. He had long tangled, caramel colored hair that fell over his face when he looked down. Belle scooted close to him. "Hello?" She said quietly.

She heard a faint mutter come from him. "My name is Belle" she said a little louder.

He appeared to mutter something.

She tried to keep her cool. "So, for our research project do you have any ideas? Whatever you want to do, I'm totally fine with."

She looked at him, he had not looked at her the entire time she had been speaking to him. Something about him seemed odd. Belle sat with her note book scratching out ideas by herself.

When the period was over, she packed her things and walked out with Jane. "Who's your partner?" Jane asked.

"I don't know, he never told me his name. He didn't really say anything at all." Belle sighed.

Jane gave her an apologetic look. "Well you could be paired with Lottie, like I am."

Belle looked at her, "at least Lottie talks!"

"Yeah, too much."

Belle sighed as she walked into her science class.

The time seemed to pass quickly, and the final bell rang. Belle walked across the courtyard to meet Meg and Rapunzel. "Are you guys ready to go?" She asked.

They nodded. "So we got assigned a research project today and I got partnered with this guy who doesn't even talk."

"What's his name?" Rapunzel asked.

"He never said." Belle replied.

Rapunzel's brow furrowed. "What did he look like?"

"He had long, tangled, caramel colored hair." Belle said.

"I don't believe I've ever seen him," Rapunzel said in thought.

They continued on the street to the hospital. Meg looked down at the sidewalk as they walked. "I'll probably end up doing all the work, but it's ok." She sighed. "Jane got paired with Lottie, so I guess it could be worse."

They arrived at the hospital and walked through the doors. "Megara! We're so glad to see you!" the woman at the front desk called.

Meg, suddenly concerned, rushed to the counter. "the doctor was hoping you would come today!" she smiled.

She walked to the back as Rapunzel and Belle caught up. Meg stood patiently waiting. The doctor came and escorted the three girls back. They walked to Adonis' room, just like they had everyday after school. The doctor entered the room alone and then came back outside. "Megara." he gestured for her to enter.

She gulped and followed him. She padded softly into the room, and saw Adonis sitting up in bed. Meg jumped, startled. "is this real?" she whispered.

Adonis looked at her and grinned. She approached his bed and hugged him. She felt his muscles flex as he hugged her back. "you're alive!" she cried, tears welling up in her eyes.

"baby don't cry!" Adonis said quickly.

"I'm so happy, you're better!"

They held each other for a long time, when Belle and Rapunzel quietly entered the room.  
Meg began sobbing. Belle gently smiled. There was the first beam of happiness in Meg's eyes in weeks. She held onto Adonis, never wanting to let go. Belles smile quickly changed to a look of concern. Rapunzel's curious eyes looked at belle. "the deal." she whispered.

Rapunzel's eyes widened with fear. Had Meg forgotten? A nurse entered the room informing Meg the doctor would like to speak to her. The doctor certainly had not forgotten. Rapunzel and Belle stood awkwardly across the room from Adonis. "what is the date?" he asked.

"October 6." Belle replied.

"but it was..September..."

"you've been out for just over a month." Belle replied rather plainly.

Adonis' eyes widened. "A...month?"

"that is correct."

"I bet Meg has been so worried..."

"She was devastated. She cried nearly everyday you were gone, and she hardly ever spoke."

Adonis' eyes shifted downward. "What exactly happened to me?"

"We'll neither of us were personally at the game, my friend Phoebus came to tell me the day you were sent to the hospital." Belle replied.

Meg entered the room, eyes downcast. She sat on the edge of his bed. Adonis leaned over and kissed the top of her head. She smiled. He wrapped his arms around her. "It's been awhile," he smiled.

She smiled back. Rapunzel and Belle decided to leave Meg with Adonis. They made their way back to the main lobby. They exited the hospital, and were back on the street. They decided to take a detour and make a stop at Clarabelle's. As Belle pulled on the door knob, a bell rang. "Welcome to Clarabelle's!" A voice called from the kitchen.

Clarabelle emerged from the kitchen, "what can I get started for you? Oh! Hey Belle and Rapunzel! So nice of you girls to stop by!"

"We just came from visiting a friend in the hospital," Belle said.

"Oh my!" Clarabelle replied.

"It was Meg's boyfriend. He's better now though." Belle sighed.

The blender whirred as Clarabelle whipped up their usual frappes. She poured them into cups and put extra whipped cream on top and snapped the lid on. She put them on the counter. Rapunzel and Belle thanked her, and put straws in their drinks. They exited the shop and continued their walk home.

They reached Rapunzel's house. She waved goodbye as Rapunzel entered her house. Belle walked up Rapunzel's street alone. She wasn't really in a hurry. She walked on a street she had never been on before. There was a small catwalk. She walked up the path, and found a peaceful patch of grass. She sat down on it and pulled out her book, it was comfy enough.

She sat peacefully reading. She noticed the sky had grown dark, and she put her book back in her back and began walking home. She walked up the opposite side of the street than she usually did. She walked by Phoebus' house, and saw his silhouette in a window on the second floor.

When she came home, she found her father in the garage, like she did everyday. She began to make dinner for them. She called her father in, and they ate. After they finished, Belle washed the dishes, and skipped upstairs. She finished a bit of homework and went to bed.

The next morning, Belle walked alone to school. Meg had left when she got to her house, so she figured Adonis picked her up. She scuffed along in her school shoes, clutching her book against her chest. "I hope you don't mind if I join you."

Belle froze and turned around. It was Phoebus. She smiled at him. "How's Adonis?" he asked.

"Better, I guess he was admitted home last night after they ran some tests on him." She replied.

Phoebus nodded. They walked the rest of the way to school in silence. Belle didn't know what to say to Phoebus, it had been so long.

They entered the front gate of the school. Belle walked with Phoebus and met Rapunzel.

"Meg wasn't home when I went to her house today." Belle said.

"Maybe she got picked up by Adonis" Rapunzel suggested.

"I don't know we'll have to see." She replied.

Phoebus nodded. Rapunzel was still a little taken aback by Phoebus. The Bell rang for class and Phoebus said goodbye to Belle and Rapunzel. Rapunzel hurried off with Jane to history. Belle was left alone to walk to her math class.

Belle tried to keep up with her teachers as best as she could. She couldn't wait until lunch to talk to her friends. When the lunch bell finally rang, Belle walked quickly across the courtyard to their tree. She sat down and stated reading as she waited for the others. Meg came and sat down and Belle looked up.

"Where were you this morning?" Belle asked.

"At Adonis' place. He is resting at home, but his mom made breakfast for me since I came over." She replied twisting a clover in her fingers that she had just picked.

Belle looked at her as Rapunzel and Cinderella sat down.

"well you know he's better." Rapunzel sighed.

"yes, but now I'm stuck working 4-8 on school days and 9-4 on weekends for that stupid doctor!" Meg cried.

Belle shook her head silently. Alice sat down holding a folded piece of paper. Cinderella chewed quietly looking at Belle's glares at Meg. "What?!" Meg demanded.

Belle snapped, "that deal you made with the doctor."

"Is that what this is about? Or is it because you didn't have anyone to walk with to school?" Meg replied.

"I walked to school with Phoebus, thank you very much!" Belle retorted.

"Why? Because now that you two made up you're hoping for a kiss to seal the deal?" Meg replied sharply.

Belle was about to reply, but decided it would be best not to. She shoved her book in her bag and stormed off. As she was now a distance away, Cinderella got up to go offer her.

Belle slumped down the side of the science building in an alley. She stared at the ground. "Belle?" She heard in the distance.

She stayed silent. The calling grew closer. Cinderella walked down the alley and sat down next to her. Belle looked at her. "I was stupid to have said anything at all."

"It's alright, we all get upset. We don't always agree with everything others do." Cinderella replied.

Belle sat in silence. "So what deal did Meg make with the doctor?" Cinderella asked.

"She agreed to make medication for the doctor, who is working on an experimental drug. He offered to use it on Adonis, and in return she would work for him." Belle replied.

Belle looked at Cinderella, "Adonis woke up from his coma yesterday." She said quietly.

Cinderella's eyes widened. "No...way. So Adonis is healed?" Cinderella asked in disbelief.

Belle shrugged," yeah but Meg has to work four hours a day after school. The doctor wanted to ensure that if Meg got to have Adonis, she would pay the price for his handy work."

Cinderella frowned. "She's signed a deal with the devil." She whispered.

Belle nodded. "Rapunzel and I couldn't believe she did it."

The bell rang for lunch to be over. Belle walked alone to English. She found herself, once again, struggling to communicate with her partner. She thought it odd that she remembered him from somewhere. "Will you please tell me your name?" She asked, exasperated as she scratched out more ideas for their research project.

For the first time, he looked up at her, his Carmel hair falling over his eyes. "Adam." He grunted.

The voice and the appearance seemed so familiar, but she simply couldn't place it. Suddenly the striking blue eyes became all too clear to her. He was the boy she ran into in the rally and in the underworld


	8. The Stranger

Cinderella shook her head angrily as she walked up the driveway to her home. How could Meg let this happen? She unlocked the door and walked through the entrance hall. She walked to the stairs and walked up to the second floor. She blamed herself for not being there because she had to work. But what about Belle? She had her head on the right way, most of the time. Why didn't she stop her?

Cinderella started to walk down the end of the hallway where her room, which was barely bigger than a closet, was. She noticed Drizella's door was cracked when she walked by. Suddenly she heard a squeal of delight. "A new boy?"

"Hush Anastasia!" Drizella whispered.

Cinderella paused by the crack in the door. "Jasmine tells me he is going to be a senior, and he's coming next semester." Drizella's whispered.

"No way-"

"He's mine!"

Cinderella rolled her eyes and continued to her room. "I met a new boy today who was a junior!"

Cinderella paused again. "Anastasia, must you talk so loud? Someone could hear us!"

"Sorry," she whispered, "it's just he was so handsome! He had dark hair and dreamy dark eyes!"

Cinderella's heart skipped a beat, could she be talking about Ferdinand? She wouldn't let it happen, Rapunzel was telling stories about him with a dreamy look in her eyes. She continued her way to her room and gently shut the door. She changed out of her work clothes into comfortable ones. She slipped on her slippers and walked back down to the kitchen.

Bruno was sleeping on his bed. She prepared a cup of tea for her step mother and comtinued to think about the boys Anastasia and Drizella were talking about. She had yet to meet Ferdinand, but he sounded nice, and she couldn't let Anastasia have him. She put a tea cup and the tea pot on a tray and carried it to her step mothers study. "Hello?" She asked softly.

"Enter." A cold voice replied.

She brought the tray in and set it down on her step mothers desk. She hurriedly exited the room. She reentered the kitchen to find Bruno pacing. She grabbed his collar and took him outside.

When she brought him back in, Drizella and Anastasia were walking down the stairs. "When we go back to school tomorrow I'm going to meet this new boy who is supposedly coming, Jasmine will make sure of it."

"I will find him, he's mine!" Anastasia replied.

"What did you say his name was again?" Drizella asked.

"Charles," Anastasia said with a distant gaze.

Cinderella tried to think of any juniors named Charles. "Cinderella!" Drizella yelled.

"Yes Drizella?" She replied.

"I need my blouse for tomorrow freshly pressed, crisper than normal!" She yelled.

"Me too!" Anastasia added.

"Yes Drizella." She replied.

"Mother!" Anastasia yelled. She hurried down the hallway to her mothers study, red curls bouncing behind her.

Drizella followed her. Cinderella walked back upstairs to her room. She dutifully finished her homework, cooked dinner and washed up for bed. Her mind still trying to think who Charles was.

Cinderella woke the next morning to the chirping of birds. She looked at her calendar. She looked at the heart drawn around the the 21st. She then remembered that was the day of the homecoming dance. She readied herself for school and then finished her morning chores. She carefully closed the door and walked to the corner to wait for the bus.

When it arrived she boarded and sat alone in a bench, still pondering the name her step sisters had thrown around. Suddenly the bus stopped, and Esmerelda and Quasi boarded. Cinderella looked down, and suddenly felt someone plop down next to her.

She looked up and saw a boy. She had never seen him before, but he appeared to be a junior or senior. He had long blonde hair the seemed to fall in just the right way. His jawline was strikingly sharp, and he had clear blue eyes. He smiled at her, "hello!"

She backed into the window. "Don't be shy, I promise I don't bite." He chuckled.

His eyes were striking and pierced her heart. He was gorgeous. The bus stopped again and Phoebus boarded the bus and walked to the back. He avoided making eye comtact with Cinderella as he sat in the last row. He was followed by a tall senior girl with long straight black hair and tanned skin and a girl who appeared to be her friend who was shorter but had her jet black hair pulled up into a bun. They were followed by a tall muscular boy who was also tanned with long black hair. The two girls sat across from Esmerelda and Quasi, and the boy sat behind the two girls. "Hey Pocahontas!" She heard Esmerelda shout across the aisle.

Pocahontas and her friend, Nakoma smile and wave. The boy behind them looked solemn. "Good morning Kocoum!" Esmerelda smiles.

He solemnly looks at her. "Lighten up Kocoum!" She laughs.

He stares at he blankly. Nakoma looks at him and shakes her head. "His father has taught him to look at life in a serious way."

Cinderella, sitting several rows up from them, tries to have a light hearted talk with the boy who has sat next to her. They finally arrive at the school, and Cinderella, more than relieved, gets off the bus. She watches Pocahontas, Nacoma, Kocoum, Esmerelda, and Quasi walk off into the courtyard. She never saw what happened to the boy who sat by her. She saw Belle reading in the courtyard and quickly approached her. "Hey, I was thinking," she began.

Belle looked away from her book. "Yes?"

"Are you going to the homecoming dance?"

"Well, I'm not sure. I mean if someone were to ask me than sure, but I'm just concerned that Gaston is going to try and ask me and if no one else asks me I'm afraid it will be rude to say no. I might go, you know for fun, it's just the dresses are expensive."

Cinderella looked at her. "I'm not sure but Anastasia and Drizella keep talking about it so I was just curious. By the way have you ever seen a boy, he may be our year or a senior, but he has long blonde hair and a defined jaw, and-"

"Phoebus? He's a senior."

"I dont think so, his hair was-"

"Sandy blonde?"

"No, it was very blonde."

"Are you sure it's not Phoebus?"

"I've never looked at Phoebus carefully, but I don't think it was him."

"You're sure?"

"Well, I think Phoebus boarded after this boy, he kind of avoided making eye contact with me."

Rapunzel and Alice walked into the courtyard. Meg was also walking toward them, still glaring at Belle from the argument they had the day before.

"Are either of you going to the homecoming dance?" Meg asked Cinderella and Belle.

"I wasn't thinking unless somone asks me, which I'm sure Gaston will." Belle replied.

Meg glared at her. She looked at Cinderella. "My step mother won't let me go." Cinderella replied quietly.

Cinderella met with Rapunzel the next day in English class. Rapunzel was carrying a bouquet of flowers. "Did somebody ask you to Homecoming?" Cinderella asked.

"Ferdinand came into my history class and surprised me." Rapunzel blushed. "He felt bad about spilling chemicals on me, and he said he wanted to make it up to me. I don't really mind, no real harm was done, and he's cute too."

"Well, congratulations, and I hope you two have a good time." Cinderella smiled.

"If mother will let me go," Rapunzel sighed.

Cinderella was now curious. Obviously it was not Ferdinand who Anastasia was interested in. Or rather, Anastasia who Ferdinand had an interest in. She was still trying to think of who Charles was and if the was a decoy, since his description almost fit Rapunzel's description of Ferdinand.

The bell rung for lunch and Cinderella walked alone. "Excuse me?" She heard.

She turned around. It was the boy from the bus. "Oh! Hello!" She said, startled.

He smiled at her, and ran his fingers through his blond hair. She looked at him, speechless. "I never caught your name on the bus yesterday," he said.

"C-Cinderella." She stuttered.

"What a beautiful name for a beautiful girl," he smiled.

She blushed. "I don't believe I've ever seen you around here before." He said.

"Well I mostly go to school, go to work, and go home, I don't hang out a whole lot." She replied.

"You work? Where do you work?" He asked.

"Well, technically I work at home as a maid and I work washing dishes at Daisy's Diner." She replied.

"What do you mean you work at home? That's awful!" He replied.

"It's alright it keeps me busy." She replied and started to turn away.

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Please don't leave."

She looked at him, "I usually eat with my friends, they'll be wondering where I am. I have to go. "

She walked away as he stood watching her. She walked to the tree where they usually ate. "John smith?" Meg asked.

"What are you talking about?" Cinderella asked.

"That boy you were talking to, his name is John smith."

"Oh?" Cinderella replied.

She sat down, Belle was keeping her eyes glued to her book, Cinderella could tell she and Meg were still not on good terms. Rapunzel and Alice whispered quietly, as not to upset the already present tension. Cinderella sighed as she thought she had become the peace keeper between them.

When lunch was over, Cinderella walked to her history class. She sat down, alone in class. She didn't really have any friends she talked to, and she had Jasmine and Aurora in her class.

She took her notebook out and began scrawling Dr. Dopplers notes. She heard Aurora whispering to Jasmine. They were giggling. Cinderella sighed and shook her head, they were so immature.

She went to touch her necklace. As she reached for it, she felt her bare neck. Her heart skipped a beat, her necklace was gone. She panicked. She never removed her necklace. She wore it while she showered and while she slept, it was impossible that it could go missing. The chain must have broken.

She immediately began searching around her, she didn't know where she had lost it. Her throat began to tingle, but she tried to hold it back until she got out of class. She didn't want jasmine and Aurora to see her crying in class.

When the final bell rang, Cinderella darted out of her class to search by the tree where they ate lunch. She walked on every sidewalk she had walked on and searched all around the courtyard.

She couldn't find it anywhere. She tried to hold back tears as she went to the bathroom to change. She looked at her tear stained face in the mirror as she tied her hair up. That necklace meant the world to her, it was the only thing she had left to remind her of her mother.

Tears were streaming down her face as she walked out of the bathroom to the front gate of the school. "Cinderella!"

She turned around. It was John. He jogged to catch up to her. "Where are you headed to?" He asked.

"Work." She managed to choke out.

"Are you alright?"

She shook her head, she couldn't speak. "What happened?"

She looked at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. She touched a hand to her neck. John looked at her neck and looked at her. He couldn't decipher what she was trying to tell him. She turned to walk away, and he continued to walk with her.

"So you work everyday after school?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

She nodded. They rounded the corner of the block and crossed the street. She tried to calm herself before she entered the diner. She looked at John. "I lost the necklace that I always wear. It was a necklace of my mothers, that I took when she passed away when I was younger. "

John's eyes widened. He wiped a tear off her cheek. "I'm so sorry you have to go to work on top of all of this."

She managed to smile, "it's alright, it will keep my mind off it."

He looked at her and brushed a whisp of her strawberry blonde hair out of her face. She smiled. "I have to go I can't be late to work again."

He nodded. "Will I see you on the bus tomorrow?"

"More than likely, Drizella never tells me when she's leaving. "

John looked at her and smiled. She smiled back before entering the diner. She changed her shoes in the back, and greeted Tiana. "What's new with you?" Tiana asked.

"We'll I lost my mothers necklace," she began, "but I also met this wonderful boy named John." Her eyes shone.

Tiana giggled. Cinderella picked up her first bucket of dishes, and began to wash. Her mind continued to think about John. "Cindy table four!" Jessica barked.

Cinderella didn't even fight her, she walked over to the table with a smile, and began cleaning up.

"What's her problem?" Jessica asked Tiana.

Tiana smiled, "she's made a new man friend."

Jessica rolled her eyes ask she watched Cinderella work her shift with a dreamy smile. At the end of the shift, Mrs. Mouse called her into the back. "Cinderella, I've been noticing how hard you've been working, and I want to give you a little promotion from a bus girl, to a server. Your new job will be to take orders from kitchen to table and refill drinks. Oh! Look at your hands! You work too hard! I don't want to see you washing dishes anymore!" She said.

Cinderella smiled, it was the day she had been waiting for. The day when she would be doing something more than what she did at home. She grabbed her bag out of her cubby and walked home.

When she reached her house she walked in and kept her dreamy smile as she cooked for her step mother and step sisters. While they ate, they exchanged looks of confusion as to why Cinderella seemed so happy. She sat in her room, doing homework, with her door cracked.

"I didn't see him at all today!" Anastasia whispered.

"That's odd," Drizella replied.

Cinderella listened at the crack of her door. "I figured out what his name is though, it's Charles Charmant, and he's a junior." Anastasia whispered.

There was a pause. Cinderella thought she recognized the last name. "Interesting," Drizella replied.

Cinderella sat back on her bed, knowing her step sisters weren't after Ferdinand after all. She touched her neck, and panicked remembering her necklace was gone. She finished her work and curled up in bed. Today had been a good day other than losing her necklace. She decided she would worry about that tomorrow.

When the sun peered through her window, she woke with a start. She heard Anastasia and Drizella laughing loudly in the hallway. She got up and readied herself for school, once again missing her step sisters leaving by half an hour. She sighed, grabbed her school bag, and walked to the bus stop.

She was determined to find her necklace today. She stood patiently waiting. The bus arrived and she boarded, and sat in her usual seat. She waited for John to board but he never came. She was disappointed, but let it slip her mind as she thought of where she might have lost her necklace.

When the bus arrived, she got off and walked across the courtyard to where Belle and Rapunzel were sitting. She asked them if they had seen her necklace, to which they both shook their heads.

She held her head high and continued on her search throughout the day. Rapunzel asked if she had made any progress when they met again in English. Cinderella shook her head. She thought about how she hadn't seen John all day.

When she walked to lunch she heard someone call her name. She turned around, it was John. "John!" She gasped.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't take the bus, my pal Thomas wanted to walk with me and discuss something."

"Oh that's fine." She replied.

"I felt terrible. But I think I can make it up to you."

She looked at him with curiosity. He reached into his pocket. He held something and walked up to her, fixing it around her neck. "My necklace!" She gasped.

He smiled. "Where did you find it?"

"Some blonde cheerleader was wearing it. I saw it on her neck and she claimed it was hers. I told her I had seen you wearing that necklace. Her little friend with the thick black hair claimed I had no proof, but I knew better."

"That's why they were giggling in history!" Cinderella cried.

She thanked John and hugged him, and he smiled


	9. Preparations for Homecoming

Alice stared at the sky as Peter tried to talk to her. "Alice I'm being serious! I don't know if I should ask a girl to Homecoming, there is this girl I like, but I think she'll say no."

"Why don't you just ask her and see what happens."

"What if she says no?"

"You never know until you try."

They had finished running their laps for PE. Alice bent over the water fountain and took a long drink. Her face changed from beet red back to normal. She thought about the dance. Suddenly someone tapped on her shoulder.

It was an average height boy with straight red hair. "Excuse me but are you friends with Cinderella?"

"Yes?"

"Can you give this to her?"

He handed her a folded note. "Sure." She replied.

As she looked at him, she noticed he was the boy from her science class, Thomas. He strode away. Peter looked at Alice.

When class was over they entered the locker rooms to change. Alice walked alone into the courtyard after school. Belle was sitting on a bench looking at a card. Alice sat next to her quietly. "Oh! Hello Alice!" She said startled.

"Hello." She smiled.

"I received this card from Lefou, it's asking me to go to the courtyard after school tomorrow. I think it's a trap into Gaston asking me to Homecoming."

Cinderella and Rapunzel approached. Alice handed the note to Cinderella. She carefully opened it and read it. 'An admirer wants to meet you buy the front gate of the school tomorrow after the final bell.'

"What do you think this means?" She asked.

Alice shrugged, "all I know is a guy, I think his name is Thomas, gave it to me in PE."

Cinderella tossed the note into her bag. "I suppose whoever it is, I'll have to say yes."

Belle looked at them. "We should all just go to the dance! Then there will be no harm done. A few of us have dates or may have dates, and please don't make me go alone with Gaston!"

"You don't know that he's going to ask you." Meg replied.

"I can nearly guarantee it! What am I supposed to say? 'No Gaston, I don't want to go with you, but I'll go alone!'" Belle cried.

"I suppose you're stuck," Alice said quietly.

The next day, Alice was sitting quietly in her science class. She was writing in her notebook when she heard "Hey Blondie!"

Alice turned around. It was Anastasia. "Blondie-"

"-my name is Alice!" She steamed.

"Yeah whatever Alicia. Listen. You're friends with Cinderella, I understand, I'm sorry for your poor social choices, but I need a favor."

Alice's eyes widened with fright. " I need you to make sure that she doesn't get any crazy ideas to go to Homecoming with Charles. "

Alice nodded. She sat quietly for the rest of the period.

When the bell rang, Alice quickly packed her things and walked to PE. She changed into her PE uniform and waited for Peter. When he emerged from the boys locker room, he caught her eye, and walked over. "Peter today Anastasia warned me to keep Cinderella from trying to go to homecoming with a guy named Charles."

Peter looked at her. "That's odd, she probably wants to get together with him."

"But why? He's a junior, a high class junior! He's never going to go with a sophomore like her!"

Peter stared at her. "So did you ask that girl you were going to ask to the dance yet?" Alice asked.

"No, I'm still deciding." He replied.

They began their daily laps around the track. The boy with red hair approached Alice while they were running. "Hey Alice, can you remind Cinderella about today after school."

Alice nodded and he jogged away. They finished their laps and went to get a drink of water. Peter stood by the fountain as Alice took a long drink. Alice turned around, and looked at Peter, water dripping from her chin. She wiped her chin on her shoulder.

Peter looked at her and ran his fingers through his dark red hair. They waited for the whistle to signal them to go change. When it finally came, they went to their locker rooms and changed. Alice walked out of the locker room and heard the final bell ring. She walked into the courtyard of the school where she saw people gathering. She saw Rapunzel walking, looking nearly as confused as she was. She walked towards her. "What's going on? Rapunzel asked.

They walked closer and saw Gaston standing in the middle of the crowd. As they approached the edge of the crowd, they could only see glimpses of Belle. The crowd was buzzing, and Rapunzel and Alice struggled to catch a glimpse of what was going on. Finally, Gaston's voice rang out, "Ladies and Gentleman! Boys and Girls!"

The crowd buzzed with excitement. "I think you all know why we are gathered here today," he continued, "I want to take Belle, the most beautiful girl in this school, to the Homecoming dance!"

The crowd continued to buzz with excitement. "What did I miss?" Cinderella asked, panting.

Alice turned around in surprise. "Gaston is just declaring how he wants to take Belle to the dance."

"Okay, good." Cinderella sighed.

Belle was holding her hand to her head in humiliation. "Belle!" Gaston bellowed.

"He is such a fool!" Cinderella whispered.

"Will you accompany me to this Homecoming dance?"

Belle looked like she was uncomfortable being as close to gaston as she was. She hung her head. She snapped her head up, "yes Gaston I will go to the dance with you." She rolled her eyes.

"Excellent!" He handed her an enormous bouquet of daisies and crysanthemums.

She weakly smiled as the crowd disband. She looked down at the bouquet and gasped.

"I shall see you Saturday Belle!" Gaston shouted.

Belle smiled weakly and waved. "Oh! Cinderella don't you have someone to meet?"

Cinderella's smile quickly faded. "Oh I completely forgot I hope he's still here!"

Alice, Rapunzel, and Belle watched as she rushed to the front gate. Belle sighed, "Gaston has no manners! How could he dare to give me crysanthemums?"

Rapunzel looked at her curiously. Alice looked at Rapunzel, "crysanthemums are often regarded as a flower of grief."

Rapunzel gasped. Belle nodded. She looked down at the bouquet. "Leave it to Gaston to do something like that."

Cinderella walked swiftly to the front gate of the school. She saw John standing alone. "Oh! Hello! I was worried there for a second you weren't coming." He said.

"I'm so sorry," she cried, " I was watching one of my friends, I don't know if you know her, Belle get asked, or publically humiliated by Gaston."

He laughed a little. "It's alright."

"I really wanted to thank you for finding my necklace, it means a lot to me."

"I think your necklace is...very pretty, the color matches your eyes," he said.

"Thank you." She said quietly.

"So I was wondering if anyone was taking you to the dance this weekend."

"No," she said looking into his blue eyes.

"How would you like to go with me? It certainly doesn't have to be serious, we can go as friends if you want!"

"I would like that, but I have to see if my step mother will let me go. " she said quietly.

"Great! Will I see you on the bus tomorrow?"

"More than likely," she sighed. "Wait! John!"

He turned around. "Alice told me that a friend of hers gave her this note."

He blushed, "yes I had my good friend Thomas deliver it to her, I kind of wanted to surprise you!"

"Thomas? The one with red hair?" She asked.

"Yeah we go way back," he laughed.

"I've met him! He took Alice to the nurse when she fell and hit her head! I had no idea you knew him!"

John laughed. "So I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yes." She smiled.

Cinderella turned to walk back to her friends. She saw them all smiling at her. Alice ran up and hugged her. Belle was still staring at her flowers. "There is so much to do before the dance!" Rapunzel cried.

The following day after school the five girls were hunting for dresses to wear to the dance. To buy a new dress was very expensive, so they decided to hunt for dresses by other means.

Cinderella, whose wages from work were not enough to buy a grand dress from the store, began searching through old dresses of Anastasia and Drizella's, which they had discarded. She found an old pea green dress of Drizella's, but she held it up and the color was simply horrendous. She looked until she found a dress she believed that Anastasia wore to some formal event that was a magenta halter dress. She took the collection she had found back to her room. She put on the pea green dress and held up her hand mirror, which was her mothers. She stuck out her tongue as she saw how horribly the color clashed with her skin ton and hair color. She slipped on the magenta dress. It was loose in the waist. The color wasn't ideal either. It would have to do. She hoped John wouldn't see her as a slob for the ugly color and the loose fit.

When Alice told Mathilda she would be attending the dance, her sister immediately went to her own closet. Mathilda found a dress from her own closet she deemed "proper" for Alice to wear. It was a knee length white lace dress with long sleeves. Alice looked at it, she didnt mind, she wasnt going with anyone she needed to impress anyway. It wasn't exactly her style, but it would work for the night.

Rapunzel immediately put her sewing skills to work and began flipping through patterns she had for dresses. She found one that was a long gown. She looked through her box of fabrics her mother had bought for her. She put together a dress with things she found here and there. It was a gown of pearl pink, with white details. She put it on and took a twirl. It wasn't as perfect as she had hoped for. She hoped Ferdinand wouldn't find it totally repulsive.

Meg gathered her money she had been saving and went to purchase a new dress. She figured it was her senior year, and she should look presentable. She had worked at selling off her old dresses from previous events. She walked into the dress shop and looked around. She spotted the perfect dress. It was a form-fitting gold dress with a slit up the leg. As she tried it on, she smiled, because she knew it was perfect. She spun in it like a little girl. She had finally found happiness after all that had happened to Adonis.

Belle went to the market place to see if she could barter for a dress of some sort. She brought a few of her old school books to the market to trade the tailor for her children. As she approached the tailor smiled. "Good morning Belle!"

"Good morning Madam! Do you have any dresses for the Homecoming dance?"

Lucky for her, there was one dress left that would be suitable for the occasion and it fit. It was emerald green, and had a full skirt. She looked at it, green wasnt really her color, but she didnt really have a y other choice. She didn't really care what Gaston thought of it.

The next morning the girls met at Belles house with their dresses. They tried them on and were giggling. Rapunzel brought a sewing kit and was busily trying to make the waist of Cinderellas dress smaller. Cinderella was looking in Belles closet for a pair of heels that would match. Belle washed her hair to let Meg style her hair for the dance. Meg pulled sets of bangles and earrings for Alice to put on with her dress. Alice sat peacefully on Belles bed.

Alice stared at the ceiling of Belle's room. "Hey we should go get drinks down at Clarabelle's." she suggested.

The girls nodded in agreement. Belle pulled her hair out of a towel, still wet. They collected their purses and Belle called to her father they were leaving.

As they exited her house, they walked along her street. Belle looked over at Phoebus' house, and sighed when she saw no movement. "I wonder if he's going tonight." She said quietly.

Meg looked at her. "I bet you wish he had asked you."

"I'd rather have him over Gaston!" She cried.

They rounded the corner to Clarabelle's. Cinderella pulled the small wooden door open. Clarabelle greeted the girls and began making their usual drinks. The girls asked Meg to do their hair and makeup for them. Meg happily agreed. "Oh no," Alice whispered.

Belle and Meg turned around. Aurora and Jasmine had entered the shop. "Hello!" Clarabelle called from the kitchen.

They stood at the counter with their arms crossed. "Daisy's was packed this morning, I figured this place would be dead." Aurora smirked.

"Nobody ever comes here," Jasmine replied.

She turned around. "Oh look, it's the five losers! How cute!" She said.

"Beat it, Tree Trunk!" Meg snarled.

"No need to get your curls in a knot Meg!" Jasmine taunted.

"This is our neck of the woods!" Meg growled.

"Why? To keep poor Clarabelle in business?" Jasmine pouted mockingly.

Belle and Cinderella frowned. Alice and Rapunzel watched in fear. Belle stood up. "We come here because Cinderella doesn't want to hang out where she has to serve scum like you everyday!" She cried.

"That's a pretty bold move, bookworm." Jasmine retorted.

"Jasmine we come here because we like it here and we love Clarabelle!" Cinderella cried.

"Oh really, you like this old run down kitchen?" Jasmine replied.

Meg jumped up. Rapunzel reached for her hand, but missed. Meg approached Jasmine, and came within inches of her face. "I'll tell you what, tree trunk. You make one more wrong move, and I will kick you into tomorrow." She snarled.

"Who's gonna kick me? Adonis? Oh wait, he's still recovering!"

"That's it!" Meg screamed.

Belle and Cinderella jumped and ran to hold her back. Rapunzel and Alice ducked underneath the table. Meg was about to wind up for a punch when Belle and Cinderella grabbed her hands. Rapunzel and Alice pulled a chair underneath her and sat her down. "Go!" Belle commanded, pointing to the door.

Looking startled, Jasmine and Aurora left the Café. Meg was still steaming as Alice and Rapunzel held her down. "Forget about them, they're just trying to taunt you." Belle said softly.

Meg stood up. She picked up the chair and returned it to its table. "I'm sorry," she muttered.

Meg picked up her purse. The others cleaned up their table, grabbed their purses and returned to Belle's house to get ready for the dance.

When they arrived, they walked quickly up the stairs and back to her room. Meg began styling their hair and doing makeup, and they returned to their respective houses. Alice skipped up her stairs when she went home to put on her dress and the jewelry Meg had given her. She didn't mind that she didn't have a date after all. She looked out her window across the street. She had forgotten to ask Wendy if she was going.

She looked out at Wendy's bedroom window. She saw Wendy's silhouette moving about behind her curtains. Alice touched up her makeup and skipped down the stairs. She said goodbye to Mathilda and walked out the front door. She didn't mind having to walk to the dance.

When she was walking Dow their street, she heard her name. She spun around to see Wendy. She was dressed in a sparkling white and silver dress. Alice smiled. "Have you got a date?" Wendy asked.

Alice shook her head. "Would you mind if I walk with you?"

"Of course you can," Alice replied, "I haven't got a date or a ride!"

Wendy laughed. "I'm sorry about all that business with Peter, it was stupid of me to think he would ever like me."

"It's fine. " Alice replied.

They walked up the street to the school. All kinds of cars were approaching the school. They walked through the entrance gate, and along the lit path. "Everyone looks so beautiful!" Wendy exclaimed.

Alice nodded. She walked into the gym with Wendy, where a live band was playing. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. Wendy chattered on, as Alice searched for her friends


	10. The Dance

**{A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't posted in awhile, I've finishing school, and studying for finals and so forth, but now that I'm out I promise I'll be back to my writing!}**

As Meg walked into the dance she squeezed Adonis' hand a little tighter. He smiled down to her. She looked at him, stunning in a white suit and a gold tie. It matched her dress perfectly. The gym was filled with balloons and streamers. Left and right people were approaching them and telling Adonis they were glad he was ok. His teammates were approaching them to shake his hand.

Suddenly Meg spotted Belle and Gaston. Belle looked not the least bit happy to be there with him.

She left Adonis for a minute to greet her friend. "Hey Belle"

"Hi Meg!" She smiled.

Meg looked at Gaston, who was looking at Belle. She waved goodbye and walked away, clearly they didn't want to be bothered, at least Gaston didn't want to be. As she walked back to Adonis, she saw Jasmine towing Aladdin around with Aurora tagging along.

"I thought I had lost you." He smiled.

In the distance she saw Rapunzel with Ferdinand and Cinderella with John. "Meg! Are you enjoying yourself?" She heard.

She turned around. It was Esmerelda and Quasi. "I didn't know you two were a thing!" Meg cried.

Esmerelda and Quasi turned bright red, "we're not actually," Esmerelda began, "we're just here as friends."

Meg immediately felt ashamed of her assumption. "Hey Adonis you're looking better!" Esmerelda smiled. "I'm going to join Pocahontas and Nakoma, see you two lovers around!"

"Do you want to go meet my friends, Rapunzel and Cinderella?" Meg asked

Adonis shrugged, "sure."

As they began to walk, they were approached by Rider. "Meg! Adonis! It's so great to see you both here, together, looking quite glowing this evening, no?" He flashed a dashing smile.

"Watch it, water boy." Adonis snarled.

"Adonis stop, this boy saved your life!" Meg cried.

"Is he a doctor?"

"Well-"

"Then he didn't save my life! He may think he's a hero, but he's just the stupid water boy!"

"He was one of the first people to rush to your aid!"

"Water didn't save my life Meg!" He barked.

"Stop, you're making a scene Adonis!" Meg yelled hotly.

Rider managed to slip away from the scene he had created. "I need some air!" Meg said angrily.

She slipped out of the gym. Out in the courtyard of the school she saw a girl sitting all alone. She glanced at her, "Must be a freshman," she muttered.

As she approached she noticed it was Alice's friend Wendy. She was sobbing on a bench. "Are you ok?" Meg asked.

"Peter likes Tiger Lily!"

Meg didn't know who either of those people were so she placed her hand on Wendy's shoulder and whispered, "I'm sorry,".

She breathed in the cold night air. She sat down on a bench and thought about how ridiculous Adonis was being. Since he had gotten back from the hospital heseemed so different. He acted like a big jerk to people, and Meg felt embarassed by his rude behavior. She put her head in her hands. Suddenly she felt something brush beside her. She looked through her fingers to see a green skirt. She lifted her head to see Belle sitting beside her. Belle tried to manage a smile. Meg stared at her, "why aren't you with Gaston?"

"He was talking to the Bimbettes, so I managed to slip away." She sighed, "might I ask the same of you and Adonis?"

"He was a real jerk to Rider, I tried to tell him that Rider helped save his life, but it just upset him more. He's been a real jerk lately, and it's so embarrassing." Meg looked down at the ground, "if you want the complete truth I kind of thought he would have come searching for me, I've been gone quite awhile."

Belle looked at Meg as she stared at the floor. She admired the natural Grecian curls of Meg's hair falling down her back. She never wore it down like that. Another figure entered the courtyard. It was Lefou. "Miss Belle, Gaston requests your presence. "

"come back inside Meg, you'll freeze out here. " Belle said, worried.

Meg stood up and followed them. As she reentered the gym someone grabbed her arm and pulled her in. "Meg were so glad we found you!"

Meg turned to see Esmerelda, Quasi, Pocahontas, Nakoma, and Kocoum. "Meg!" Esmerelda's sweet voice began, "we've been trying to find you! We need to talk to you!"

Meg's eyes widened. "About what?"

"That girl who transferred from Troy High School last year, Helen." Pocahontas said.

Meg looked at them confused. "She's been making dolly eyes to Adonis all night, you need to be careful!" Nakoma warned.

Meg's face grew hot. "Adonis would never fall for a girl like her!"

"Tell that to Helen's goo-goo eyes!" Esmerelda replied.

Meg breathed in sharply, and then let out a sigh. She turned to walk away, when Nakoma grabbed her shoulder. "Please, be careful Meg." She said.

Meg looked at her. She walked to the back of the gym where she saw Adonis talking to some girls. She looked for the girl Pocahontas had mentioned, but didn't see her.

Nearby she saw Rapunzel and Ferdinand dancing, and across the gym, Belle and Gaston. She walked out into the foyer and saw Cinderella sitting on a bench. "Cinderella!" She called.

"Meg! You look amazing!" She smiled.

"Where is John?"

"Oh! He's grabbing some drinks, he's truly wonderful!"

"Listen Cinderella, have you seen Adonis with any other girls tonight?"

"I saw him talking to that blonde girl who transferred here last year." Cinderella replied.

John returned with two cups in his hands. "Hello I don't believe we've met!"

"Save it, Blondie we had History together last year." Meg snarled.

"Did we? I don't remember you! I'm terribly sorry!"

Meg pulled her hair up in a mock ponytail. "Oh! I remember you! You're Adonis' girlfriend, correct?"

"Correct." She replied.

"Listen, John, you haven't seen that cheerleader Helen at all tonight have you?"

John handed Cinderella a cup, and she took a sip out of it. "I do believe I saw her running around here somewhere." He replied.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

As Meg walked away, John looked at Cinderella who was sipping her drink. "I've heard rumor that Helen would do anything to rid Adonis of Meg." Cinderella said quietly.

John looked at her. She shrugged. "I guess this will test their love for each other." John replied.

meg was now walking back to Adonis. "Hey babe! Where have you been?"

"Just mingling with some friends." She replied.

He put his arms around her. "We haven't danced at all tonight!"

Meg didn't want to bring up the main reason was that Adonis and Rider had gotten in a fight, and she had been intercepted by Esmerelda.

"Are you sure it's safe for you to dance?"

"Of course Meg! They said I'm good as new!"

He wrapped his arms tightly around her, yet she couldn't stop thinking about what Pocahontas and Nakoma had said.

In the distance she saw Esmerelda dancing with Quasi and Pocahontas dancing with Kocoum. Nakoma had disappeared. She looked in the other corner of the gym and saw Gaston clinging to Belle, and Belle looking unamused. She saw Rapunzel dancing with Ferdinand. At least they looked like they were enjoying themselves.

The song playing ended, and couples began to leave the floor to get drinks and air. Belle rushed to get away from Gaston on the excuse that she had to use the bathroom. She tried to find anywhere she could to hide. She ran into the girls bathroom, it was a start at least. In he bathroom, Anastasia and Drizelle were reapplying lipstick, and Lottie and Claudia were leaning against the wall. It was unusual for one of the Bimbettes to separate from the other two. " it's not fair," Lottie was crying," everyone else gets to have a Prince Charming but me!" She was hysterical

Belle looked at Lottie as she blew her nose on a kerchief and mascara ran down her cheeks. Belle sighed, cheerleaders. They always made the biggest deals out of the smallest things. Claudia was trying to comfort Lottie.

Suddenly the bathroom door burst open, and Laura entered. Now two of the three Bimbettes were in one location. "Lottie! He's here! At the dance!"

Lottie looked at Laura. "Who?"

"Naveen!" Laura said excitedly.

Lottie appeared to stop crying, and immediately began to try and clean herself up. This was too much for Belle. She would rather be back out with Gaston than listen to this.

She quickly exited the bathroom, and walked out into the courtyard. She saw Alice trying to comfort another girl. "I should have never gotten my hopes up about Peter!" The other girl cried.

Belle was about to turn away. She didn't know why girls came to dances like this if they were just going to get upset like this. She turned and walked back into the foyer, out of al the drama happening at the dance, sticking out the night with Gaston appeared to be her best option.

Just as she was about to go back into the gym floor, she saw Rapunzel. She had a tight grip on Ferdinand's hand. "Belle!" She called.

Belle watched as her friend approached her with her date. "Belle I want you to meet Ferdinand, Ferdinand meet Belle, we've been friends since we were in fifth grade."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Ferdinand smiled.

"I've heard so much about you!" Belle replied.

"Only good things I hope!" He smiled.

They turned on their way back to the dance floor.

Belle wandered back to the dance floor herself. She was looking for Adonis when she ran into a blonde girl. "Oh hi! You must be Belle!"

"How do you know me?" She asked.

"I hear you're good friends with Meg."she replied.

Belle looked at her skeptically. "Wha-?"

"Listen, Meg has something I want. I want Adonis-"

"Mon Cherie! I've been looking for you!" Gaston bellowed over the girl.

"Oh Gaston!" Belle pretended to be head over heels for him.

The girl looked upset. Belle flashed her a twisted smile as she pretended to swoon in Gaston's arms. She had never been so happy to see him in her entire life. She grabbed Gaston's hand, and they began to dance, leaving the girl steaming.

Meg looked into Adonis' eyes. She smiled and looked at his blonde curls. He touched her curls and smiled back at her. This was the Adonis she remembered. A thousand memories passed before her eyes. She played with his tie and he smiled. It was as if they hadn't lost two months.

She saw Alice walk by with the girl she saw in the courtyard. The girl was still sniveling and they appeared to be looking for someone. Underclassman. She saw Alana with her younger sister Ariel in the distance.

Alana was wearing a sparkling purple dress and Ariel was wearing a sparkling green dress. She saw Jasmine and Aladdin approaching Alana and her sister. They conversed, but Meg wasn't close enough to hear. She noticed Alana looking at Jasmine in disgust.

"What are you looking at?" Adonis' voice rang in her ears.

"Oh! Just tree trunk and her minions at work."

"Jasmine is actually really nice if you try to get to know her!"

"That's easy for you to say! You're the star quarterback! Everyone is nice to you!"

Adonis grunted. Meg's head began to spin. She was so confused. Everyone was warning her against Adonis. They told her he was looking at other girls, but when she talked to him, he seemed like he only cared about her. He also seemed to have a shorter temper and she was upset that he had gotten into a fight with Rider.

Now Aurora had joined the scene. Aurora was in her too-cool-for-you pose. It appeared that Jasmine had called for back up. There appeared to be some sort of deal made between the girls, which Alana had not held her end of. Alana was now yelling at Aurora and Jasmine. Aladdin and Ariel stood back. They watched as the girls argued over something. Meg was now determined to find out what.

Meg looked back at Adonis. He would tell the truth, wouldn't he? "Attention ladies and gentlemen," one of the band members announced.

The band announced the final dance of the evening. "So pair up with your sweetheart, or that girl you've been meaning to ask all evening" the lead singer said smoothly.

Meg looked at Adonis. This didn't seem to even phase him. He was glancing off into the distance.

Meg looked around the gym. She saw Kocoum now dancing with Nakoma, and Esmerelda dancing with Quasi. They were trying to play it cool and stay in the corner of the gym. Belle was with Gaston, looking as though she would now rather be interrogated by the girl she ran into. Rapunzel glanced at Ferdinand with dreamy eyes as he held onto her waist. Cinderella laid her head on Johns shoulder. Meg looked at all her friends who seemed to be enjoying themselves. Then there was her. She was confused and had mixed signs coming from her own boyfriend. He had never questioned her loyalty before his coma, and she had never questioned his. He seemed so different now.

She looked at a different corner as she moved with Adonis. Jasmine was leading Aladdin. Aurora was dancing with a boy she had never seen before. She saw several cheerleaders dancing with boys she had never seen, including Helen.

She looked and saw Alice dancing with Thomas. She smiled, she was proud of Alice, as Alice was very shy. In the corner, Peter was asking Tiger Lily to dance.

She closed her eyes and let Adonis take control. She was exhausted. She knew she would have to investigate what her friends were telling her, but not tonight. She laid her head on Adonis' chest and moved with the music. It was only when the music stopped, her eyes opened and she looked around.

People were exiting the gym en mass. She bid farewell to her friends and walked out with Adonis. She wrapped her hair into its usual ponytail. Tonight, in a flurry of events, was still magical


	11. Flynn, again

Rapunzel brushed her blonde hair. She looked in the mirror of her room, and thought about the dance last night. She plopped down on her canopy bed. The sun was shining through her window. "Rapunzel?" She heard her mother call.

She sat up and dragged herself off her bed. She walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. "It's time for breakfast Rapunzel!" He mother said sweetly.

Rapunzel looked around and saw nothing prepared for breakfast. She sighed. This meant she was expected to make it. She began to work busily on cooking. She looked at the mail on the counter as she waited for their breakfast to cook. She flipped through it. A purple card caught her eye. It was an invitation to the Sun festival next spring. She looked at it. The festival always fell on her birthday. Her mother walked back into the kitchen, "Rapunzel, I'm getting hungry-what are you looking at?"

She hid the card behind her back. "Nothing, mother."

Her mother looked at her suspiciously. She served breakfast to her mother and took her own plate upstairs. She sat on her bed and ate. Pascal crawled up her shoulder. She looked at him. He crawled down her arm and to her window, where he sat on her window sill. She opened her window and sat on the sill. She heard voices talking and laughing below. She looked out to the street and saw the Stabbington twins, Shang Li and another boy walking on her street. Pascal scaled the wall down to the ground. "Pascal no!" Rapunzel said quickly.

Her voice had turned the attention of the boys. "How's it going Blondie?" One of the boys asked.

Rapunzel smiled and waved awkwardly, "fine."

She swung her legs back inside, and left the window open for Pascal to return. She grabbed her box of paint, and began on a new section on her wall. She got lost in her painting, and an hour passed. Pascal climbed back through her window. He had something tied around his neck. She grabbed him and tried to get it off. It was a note.

'Hey Flower! Come hang out with me today! I'll be home all day. Yours, Beauty.'

She looked at Pascal. "Did you go all the way to Belle's house?"

Pascal nodded. Rapunzel closed her door and locked it. She tossed her rope ladder out her window and climbed down. She carefully snuck out of sight from her house. She walked quickly along her street and turned the corner. She walked up a few blocks to Belle's house. She was walking up to her house when she saw the group of boys again. She recognized one of the boys as Flynn Rider. She tried to avoid eye contact as she rushed up the walkway to Belle's house. She knocked quickly on the door. As she waited at the door, she tried to hide in the shadow of the doorway.

"Hey Blondie!" Flynn called.

Rapunzel smiled weakly. She stood against Belle's door as they began to approach. Belle opened the door, and Rapunzel fell backward into her arms. Belle pulled her inside and closed the door. "Who was that?" She asked.

"Flynn Rider and his friends." Rapunzel replied.

Belle looked through the window. The boys were just walking the neighborhoods, she suspected. "So how are you and Fernie?" Belle asked playfully.

"How are you and Gaston?" Rapunzel replied.

Belle looked at her. She looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Don't get me wrong, Ferdinand is a great guy, he's just not my type."

"You're going to dump him?" Belle asked.

"We were never really together, we just went to homecoming together."

Belle looked at her disapprovingly. "He's not a bad guy!" Rapunzel continued.

They continued to talk until Rapunzel realized she needed to sneak back home. She said goodbye to Maurice on her way out. She walked back along the street to her house. She was deciding what to make for her and her mother. She hurried up her street and climbed over the back gate. She went to reach for her ladder

She pulled herself up the ladder and into her room. She unlocked her door and walked downstairs. "Flower, mother is very tired." Her mother called.

"Yes mother." She replied as she began to cook dinner. She hurried around the kitchen, gathering the ingredients she needed. Her mother lay lazily on the sofa in the next room. When she finished preparing dinner she called her mother in. "So Flower, what did you do all day today?"

Rapunzel choked on her spoonful of soup. "I, you know, painted."

"What did you paint?"

"A new sun?"

"Well that is facinating, but would you like to hear what Mummy did today?"

Rapunzel was uninterested in what her mother had to say, but looked at her and said, "sure."

"Well I went to the store to buy some things, and I saw a rowdy group of boys. I'm guessing they go to your school."

"Mother, not every teenager goes to my school." Rapunzel replied with her mouth full.

"Flower, don't talk with your mouth full."

They finished eating, and Rapunzel washed the dishes. She then hurried upstairs. She sat in her room with Pascal. she curled up on her bed and fell asleep.

The next morning she got ready for school. She brushed her blonde hair and carefully braided it. She slipped on her socks and shoes and grabbed her bag. She ran downstairs. "Goodbye mother!" She called.

She was now on the street, on her way to school. She approached the front gates of the school. Alice was walking into the gate. "Alice!" She called.

Alice turned and looked at her. She caught up to Alice and they walked in together. The bell rang, and Rapunzel walked to history. She sat in her usual desk by Jane. "Hey! It's Rapunzel right?" A voice rang out over them.

Rapunzel looked up. It was Jim Hawkins. "You're Jane right?" He asked

Jane looked at him unimpressed. "So Jane honey, any one taking you out tonight?"

"No Jim." Jane replied.

"What a shame,"

"I'm not interested, thanks." Jane replied.

Jim looking hurt, turned away. He walked back to his own desk. "I met this boy," Jane began.

Rapunzel looked at her. "He is very shy, but he's in my art class. He doesn't really talk, but I want to get to know him."

"That's great!" Rapunzel replied.

"Students get your notebooks out!" Dr. Doppler commanded. "I'm running behind schedule!"

They busily copied his notes. When class was over Rapunzel and Jane hurried through the halls. "Jane, I meant to ask how your project with Lottie is doing?" Rapunzel asked.

"If by well, you mean me doing all the work, then it's going fantastic!" Jane replied sarcastically.

Rapunzel gave her an apologetic look. Jane sighed. "So tell me about this boy!" Rapunzel tried to change the subject.

"Oh! Well he's tall, and muscular. He has long brown hair. A very sharp jawline, he's so-"

"Handsome?"

"Yes! His lines are so defined, I just want to draw him!" Jane replied excitedly.

Rapunzel laughed. The bell rang and she said goodbye to Jane. She walked through the halls to her math class. She listened and tried her best to scribble down some notes. When class was over she walked to English. She plopped down next to Cinderella. "Hey! How are you and John?" She asked.

Cinderella looked as if she were in a dream, "he is so wonderful."

Rapunzel smiled. "Class take out your books!" Mr. Thatch trembled.

Rapunzel shuffled through her bag for her book. Cinderella looked dreamily at the ceiling. "Cinderella!" Rapunzel called.

She snapped out of it and began digging through her bag for her book.

"So class did you all read chapter 3 of Of Mice and Men?" Mr. Thatch asked.

The class mumbled. He hurried through the classroom. "Excellent! Begin reading chapter 4 alone!"

Cinderella looked at Rapunzel and rolled her eyes. "This is so boring!"

Rapunzel shrugged. She began peacefully reading with her class. When the period came to an end, she packed her bag and walked to science. She carefully opened the door. She was one of the first students in the classroom, so she sat at her usual lab table. Professor Amelia was walking around in a teal colored turtleneck. Rapunzel realized she had never seen her out of her blue tailcoat or a lab coat. "Will you hand me that right there?" Her voice inquired.

Rapunzel looked at her, and then at the lab coat she was pointing at. She grabbed it and handed it to her obediently. "You're the one the new boy spilt chemicals on am I correct?"

"Yes, professor."

Professor Amelia looked at Rapunzel. "I have been meaning to ask, no harm was done?"

"No professor, no permenant damage. I did get a date to the homecoming dance out of it."

"Ah! Young love! I personally have never found any long term companionship in anyone of the male variety."

The class slowly began to file in. Rapunzel went back to sitting at her lab table. Ferdinand came and sat next to her. "Hey pretty girl!" He greeted her.

"Hi," Rapunzel said quietly.

"Hey, are you ok?"

"I'm fine-"

"You're not, you don't sound fine!" He placed his arm around her shoulder.

She pulled his arm off her shoulder. "Wha-?" He asked.

"Don't do that!"

He began to move toward her. His arm came around her shoulders.

"Ferdinand!" Rapunzel screamed. She threw his arm off her.

The entire class turned to look at her. Rapunzel's chest was heaving, and her throat began to tingle. She stacked her books up and picked them up and moved to the desk across the aisle. "Rapunzel, I don't understand? You were fine at the dance!"

Rapunzel turned with a huff. "Rapunzel? Can't we talk?"

"About what? You pressuring me?"

"Rapunzel-"

"You making me feel uncomfortable?"

Ferdinand hung his head. "I'm sorry" whispered.

She turned away from him. When the bell rang, she shoved her books into her bag and stormed out of the classroom, holding back tears. "Rapunzel!" Ferdinand called, grabbing her arm.

"What?" Rapunzel cried, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Wha-"

"I don't know how to tell you this other than we aren't meant for each other!" She cried.

Ferdinand looked taken aback. "Rapunzel," his jaw quivered.

"Ferdinand, you're a great guy. Just not my great guy. I had fun at the dance, but we just don't click. I don't think we're right for each other."

A tear rolled down Ferdinand's cheek. Before he could say anything, Rapunzel turned away and walked to lunch. She kept walking straight for their tree, not looking back to see if Ferdinand was following her. She reached the tree and sat with Belle, Cinderella, and Alice. Cinderella looked at her, but said nothing.

Pascal crawled out of her bag and onto her shoulder. "Ferdinand." She muttered.

Belle's eyes widened. "Did you really tell him-"

"Yes"

Belle leaned over and hugged her. "His face was too much. He was crushed."

"It's ok Rapunzel," Cinderella said softly.

Rapunzel put her head in her arms and cried. Cinderella, Belle and Alice exchanged worried looks. Meg came and sat down with Adonis. "Why is she crying?" Adonis asked Meg.

"I don't really know Adonis, I just sat down as well!" Meg snapped.

Belle and Cinderella exchanged glances. Alice pursed her lips. She looked at Cinderella and Belle to explain the situation. "Um, hey Adonis, if you're wondering why Rapunzel is crying, it's because she is having a few issues with a friend." Belle tried to explain, as calmly as possible.

"Aren't you all right here?" Adonis asked.

"A, guy friend." Cinderella interjected.

Adonis looked at her. "You mean a boyfriend?"

"No they weren't dating, they just went to the dance together. She said they're not really right for each other." Belle continued.

Adonis looked at Rapunzel. "Well this is depressing."

"Adonis stop!" Meg cried. "I'm sorry, let's go Adonis, sorry to have bothered you girls!" Meg called pulling Adonis away with her.

Rapunzel looked up. "He isn't very bright."

Her face was red and blotchy. She sniveled as she took a deep breath. She tried to smile. Belle smiled back at her. "It's all going to be fine!"

The bell rang and Rapunzel walked to her Art class. She sat at her usual table by Esmerelda and Quasi. "Rapunzel, are you ok?" Esmerelda asked.

"Yeah, I just kind of hurt this guy's feelings by telling him we aren't right for each other, and I feel bad."

"Better you tell him now." Esmerelda replied, looking at her nails.

Rapunzel looked at her and smiled. She was beginning to feel better. "Rapunzel!" Esmerelda exclaimed.

Rapunzel looked at her. "Have you heard about all the trouble between Meg and Adonis?"

"No"

"Meg is suspicious that Adonis is looking at other girls, specifically Helen."

"Oh no!"

Rapunzel was in shock, she thought they had been acting differently.

When the day was over, Rapunzel walked home alone. She entered her house to find her mother busily reading a magazine. "Oh! Flower, you're home!"

"Mother," Rapunzel began, " you never really talk about what happened to my father."

Her mother looked in shock. "What brings this about child?"

"Well all my other friends have fathers, or know what happened to their fathers. Belle lives with her father, Cinderella's father died when she was little, Alice's at her works all the time, and Meg has a father too!"

"Rapunzel! If all your friends wanted to go out and have fun do you think that would persuade me to let you out of this house?"

"It was just a question, I mean I'm entitled to know what happened to my father!"

"I've told you Rapunzel, time and time again, your father was a terrible man who did terrible things, so we do not speak of him."

Rapunzel turned in a huff and ran up the stairs. She walked into her room and slammed the door behind her. She threw her window open and threw her ladder down. She sat with her legs dangling out the window. Pascal sat on her shoulder. "I can't take how secretive mother is Pascal. I don't care if my father is some kind of ruffian, I just want to know who he was, it's part of me, right?"

Pascal looked at her. She looked down at the ground below her window. The ground she hit every time she snuck out of the house. She turned back to the inside. She would have to go through her mother's things by force.

Rapunzel opened her door quietly and snuck down the hallway to her mothers room. There was a closet in her room that Rapunzel had no idea what was inside. She pulled the knob and it was locked. She frantically searched for a key, and saw a key peeking out from beneath her mothers pillow. "Rapunzel?"

She panicked. Her mother was calling her to eat. She grabbed the key and found it on a long chain. She put the chain around her neck, and tucked it under the collar of her blouse. She tucked it inside her shirt so her mother wouldn't see it.

She skipped down the steps and sat at the table, beginning to eat. "Rapunzel, what is the rush?"

"I have a lot of-" Rapunzel began, bread in her mouth, "studying to do."

It wasn't exactly a lie. She did have studying to do. Just not for school. She had to do some studying on her father. She finished, placed her dishes in the sink and ran back upstairs to her mothers room. She made it to the closet. She stuck the key in the lock and turned it, when she heard a click. She was in. She quickly opened the door. The closet was dark, and full of old smelling things. She found a trunk. She opened it to find a large book.

She carefully thumbed through the book and found old notes and recipes. Nothing on her father. Disappointed, she closed the closet door, and returned the key under the pillow.

She went back to her room to get dressed for bed. She curled up with Pascal and fell asleep. She was determined to find out who her father was.

The next morning was bright, and Rapunzel awoke early. She got dressed and ate breakfast, her mother still asleep. She snuck out to school. She walked to school and entered the gate. She lost focus and ran into someone. "Hey! Watchit!"

She looked at them. "Sorry I wasn't paying attention, I've been thinking about some deep stuff."

"Clearly."

"It's just I have two dreams in life. One is to go to the Sun Festival next spring on my birthday, and the other is to find out who my father is."

"Ouch, festivals and long lost parents. I gotta admit Blondie, that's some pretty deep stuff." He said sarcastically.

She frowned. "My name is Rapunzel."

"Right, I believe we've already met. The names Flynn Rider, I case you forgot."

Her eyes widened. It was Flynn, again


	12. Dreams and Realizations

Belle sat peacefully at the bookshelf in her room. She picked book after book off her shelf. She flipped through the pages, dissatisfied. She had read every book on her shelf at least three times. She got up and walked downstairs. "Papa I'm going out!" She called to her father.

She walked out the front door. She walked alone in the cold autumn wind. She could tell it was changing from October to November. She pulled her jacket tightly around her in the cool breeze. She rounded the corner and walked down the street. She passed the diner, where music and a buzz of the crown could be heard. She turned the corner, and walked down the street. She quickly approached the book store.

As she opened the door of the small shop, a small bell rang. A greeting rang from somewhere in the back of the shop. She walked to the fiction section and began analyzing the spines of the books. "Oh hello Belle!" The vendor greeter her.

"Do you have anything new?" She asked.

He looked around and shook his head, "we don't get books as often as we used to."

She carefully read the spine of each book, and examined them. She picked up a book with a girl sleeping on the cover. "I'll take this one!"

He looked at her and turned to the cash register. As he rang up the book, she dug through her bag for a couple dollars. She handed him her money and took the book and carefully placed it in her bag. She waved to the vendor as she exited the store. The cool wind blew, and her loose hair whipped over her face. She made her way home, the wind was picking up now. She walked up her street, her hair blowing in her face, when her toe got caught in uneven pavement.

She tripped, when she felt someone catch her. She brushed her hair out of her eyes. "You alright?"

It was Phoebus. She looked at him speechless. "Yeah, I'm fine." She said quickly getting back on her feet.

He looked at her as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I haven't seen you in a while." He said.

"I've been around, you know. I went to the dance last week."

"Ah." He said quietly.

"Did you go?" She asked.

"Nah, I stayed here. Dancing isn't really my thing."

"You don't have to dance, you can just go hang out."

"Well the girl I was going to ask was already going with someone, so I figured what's the point?"

Belle looked at him apologetically. "Where were you skipping home from that you almost took in a mouthful of pavement?" Phoebus asked.

"The book shop!" Belle said excitedly, "what were you doing out here?"

Phoebus didn't return her excitement. "Getting the mail from the mailbox."

Her smile faded. "I should get going." She said quietly.

"No! Please wait!"

She looked at him curiously. "Please come inside!" He begged.

She looked at him, her brow furrowed. She followed him into his house. He took her through the entry hall and up the stairs to his room. He slammed his door shut and sat Belle on his bed. She looked at him, frightened. "Belle," he began, "I don't know how to tell you this."

She looked at him, her eyes wide. Her eyes wandered around the room, where there were pennants that were royal blue and white that said 'Walt Disney High Shool'. She looked around at pieces of his collections in his room. Her eyes fixated on a small model of the Eiffel Tower. He must have gotten it on a trip to France. Her eyes darted to a paper on his dresser. The top flipped up to read 'Army'. Her eyes widened.

He took a deep breath and held it as he brought his hand to his forehead. He laughed to himself as he exhaled. He couldn't look at her beautiful brown eyes. She began to get worried. "Phoebus? What is it?" She asked.

He grunted. "Belle you're so perfect all the time! I couldn't find something wrong with you if I searched for days! You're so beautiful and smart and sweet! It gives me sensory overload! I can't take it all in at once! And I would have loved to take you to the homecoming dance, but that buffoon Gaston beat me to it!" He took a long breath and looked at Belle.

Bella's face turned bright red. "Phoebus, I had no idea!" She said softly.

He looked at the ground, and began pacing in his room. He tried to look at anything but Belle. "Phoebus, I would have rather gone to that dance with you than with Gaston, but once he asked me, there was no way I could turn him down and still go to the dance!"

"I didn't go to the dance because I knew I couldn't bear to see you and that hot air filled buffoon."

Belle looked at him, speechless. "I'm sorry Belle I'm sure Maurice is looking for you," Phoebus continued.

"No, it's fine, he knows I take forever at the book shop." She stalled.

He looked at her. "Phoebus," she began, " ever since the night you came to my house, and told me Meg had gone to the hospital, my whole world changed. I no longer saw you as the jerk who blew me off in middle school, but more like a knight in shining armor."

"Dull armor at that, there's nothing heroic about me."

"Sure there is! You ran all the way from the school to my house, to tell me one of my friends was going to the hospital with her injured boyfriend!"

"That's a good deed, it's no heroic act."

"Sure it is! After that night I could never look at you the same way again. Meg would tease me and say I wanted to be more than friends with you, but I would fight back and say I didn't,"

Phoebus looked at her from across the room. He stopped pacing. "But in reality I did! I wanted you to hug me like you did that night in the rain, but I was afraid."

"Afraid of being hurt."

Belle looked at Phoebus as he finished her sentence. At that moment she realized everything she had been feeling, he had been feeling too. She didn't know what to do. Phoebus came and sat down next to her. She leaned her head on his shoulder. He was muscular, but his oversized hoodies never showed it. She was surprised. For a man so muscular, he was modest. She liked that about him. Her head raised off his shoulder. "Is something wrong?" He asked.

"No, it's just, I never realized you were so strong." She said quietly.

He laughed a little. "Oh! What time is it I must be going!" She said, startled.

She got off the bed. She opened his door and skipped down the stairs. "Belle! Wait!" He called after her.

Phoebus only heard the soft click of the front door closing. He hung his head, she was gone from his grasp again. She certainly was clever.

Belle ran across the street, and up the step up to her house. She fiddled with the knob and let herself in. "Papa I'm home!" She called, out of breath.

"Belle! I was beginning to worry!" Maurice came into the entryway of the house.

"Sorry Papa I got so caught up at the book store!"

"It's alright Belle, I prepared some dinner."

They sat down to eat. Belle continued to think about Phoebus. "Did you find anything to read?" Maurice asked.

"Oh yes," Belle said, dazed.

"What did you find this time?"

Belle had forgotten. How could she? Had Phoebus distracted her that much? "It's not important Papa," she said quickly.

Maurice looked startled, but left her alone. They sat eating in silence.

"How was school Belle?" maurice asked.

"Fine, I have the worst partner for a project in Mrs. Radcliffe's class! he wants me to do all the work on our research paper! i guess it could be worse, Jane has Lottie for a Partner, and she said she doesnt do any work either." Belle began to say.

Maurice smiled, this was the Belle he knew. As they finished Belle cleared the table and washed the dishes. She skipped up to her room. She sat on her bed staring at the front cover of her new book. She simply couldn't start it. She moved across the room to her desk and began working on her homework. She finished her homework with care and accuracy. She continued to think about Phoebus as she got ready for bed. She curled up on her bed and fell asleep.

She began to dream. She was in a large palace of some sort. There was a familiar looking prince who warned her not to be deceived by appearances.

She had had this dream before, and was not sure why she was having it again. She rose from her bed the next morning, and busily got ready for school. She tied her hair up with a ribbon, and pulled on her socks. She slipped on her loafers, and placed her book in her bag. She grabbed a piece of toast on her way out of the house. She walked peacefully alone to school. She was early, as always, and sat on her usual bench. She pulled her new book out of her bag. Again she just stared at the cover. She felt no desire to break the binding or even open the front cover.

More students began to file into the front gates. Belle looked for Rapunzel, who she usually missed because she was engrossed in reading. Rapunzel entered the school gates with Alice. They approached Belle, surprised she wasn't reading.

When the bell rang, Belle hurried off to math. She couldn't focus. Her mind continued to wander between her dream and Phoebus.

In third period, it clicked. The prince in her dream told her to not be deceived by appearances. Phoebus seemed modest, but underneath his royal blue hoodie, he was toned and muscular. The prince was telling her to not be deceived by Phoebus' appearance. Or so it seemed.

When lunch finally came, she sat dazed under their tree. "What's wrong with her?" Meg asked as she and Adonis sat down.

"She's been like this all day! She's even stopped reading!" Rapunzel replied.

Meg looked at Belle stunned. It was uncharacteristic of Belle to not have her nose in a book. "Who needs reading?" Adonis commented, his mouth stuffed with a bite of his sandwich.

"Adonis! Don't be such an animal!" Meg cried.

Adonis swallowed. "What was that baby cheeks?"

Meg looked at him. "I said stop being such an animal! Can you not talk with your mouth full?"

The couple sat, steaming, for the rest of lunch. Belle continued to be in a daze.

When lunch was over, Belle walked to English with Jane. Jane sat on Belle's desk as they waited for class to start. "I don't want to work with Lottie!" Jane muttered as she looked across the room at Lottie powdering her nose. When the tardy bell rang, Mrs. Radcliffe jumped up from her desk. "Class! Quiet down! Miss Porter! Get off that desk!"

The class hurried to their seats and waited for her direction. "Use this time to work with your partner on your research project."

The class was turned loose as they paired up with their partners. "Adam?" Belle asked quietly.

Her partner glanced at her through whisps of frizzy caramel hair. "So I was thinking we could do our paper on some kind of controversial topic!" She began.

Adam looked at her, unamused. "We need to pick something!" Belle cried exasperated.

Adam glared at her. "I trust you to pick whatever you think will get us an A."

"Whoa! That's not how this works! The whole point is we learn something from this!" Belle retorted.

Adam laughed. "Have you been living under a rock the last three years? The whole point of going to school, is to get out of it! We don't take no time to learn anything!"

Belle looked at him, horrified. "You know what Adam? I am sick and tired of your attitude! I've been trying to work with you on this project, and all you do is sit here and grunt and tell me to 'go with the flow'! If this project is going to work between us, you are going to need to work with me!"

Adam looked at her, taken aback. Belle was steaming. They worked in silence for the rest of the period. When the bell rang, Belle grabbed her bag and walked with Jane. "Lottie is a total ditz! She doesn't do any work!"

"Well Adam doesn't either!"

"Belle!" A voice called after her.

Belle turned around, it was Adam. "Belle! Please wait!" He was jogging to catch up with her.

She looked at him, disgusted. She stopped with Jane in the Hallway. "Belle!" He said, trying to catch his breath, "I feel awful that you had to yell at me like that, I'm suck a jerk to you and I didn't even realize you were trying to help me for my own good. I'm sorry."

Belle looked at him stunned. Jane began to creep away, but Belle grabbed her arm to stop her. "Thank you Adam," she said softly, grabbed Jane by the arm, and strode away.

She sat in science alone. She was once again, thinking about Phoebus and the prince. A new thought began to enter her dreams. Adam. She wrinkled her nose as she tried to put the thought out of her head.

The day was finally over. Belle was walking through the courtyard. She heard footsteps behind her and turned around, startled. It was Phoebus. "Sorry Belle, I didn't mean to startle you," he said putting a hand behind his neck.

"It's fine," she said quietly.

"How was your day?" He asked.

She opened her mouth to say something, but stopped herself. She looked at him and said "I had some trouble with my partner for a group project in English."

"Ah! Thats never good," he replied.

"He apologized, so I guess we're ok." She said, her voice trailing off.

"Listen, I'm sorry for dumping all that heavy stuff on you yesterday, I just needed to get it off my chest. I've been bottling up all these feelings, and I just burst."

"It's ok, I'm just glad to know I wasn't alone in feeling like that."

"Wait, you really mean you had-"

Belle nodded. She stared into his deep blue eyes. She didn't know what to say, her dreams were mixing with reality. Phoebus began to walk in the direction of the front gate, and Belle followed him.

They began to walk down the street away from the high school. Belle didn't know what to say to Phoebus.

Phoebus stared at the ground. They rounded the corner by the diner, and continued down to the entrance of their neighborhood. "Do you want to know a shortcut?" Phoebus asked.

"How could you find a shortcut in here?" Belle laughed.

Phoebus looked at her. "Do you trust me?"

Belle looked at him for a minute before answering. "Yes." She said.

"Take my hand." He said stretching a hand out to her.

She hesitated, and then placed her small delicate hand into his large and muscular hand. He pulled her up a dirt hill that was covered by the over growth of trees. "Have you ever been up here?" He asked.

"No," Belle said in amazement.

"This leads to a catwalk."

He led her to a smal patch of grass, surrounded by flowers and a path. Belle had never known this existed. She looked around.

Phoebus began to loosen his tie, and unbutton the top button of his shirt. He looked at Belle. The wind blew through his sandy blond hair.

Belle looked back at him, confused. "Belle, I didn't want to tell you this where anyone could hear me, I wanted to tell you where only you could hear it. You are the most beautiful girl I have ever met, and I was a fool to let you go the first time."

"This isn't actually a shortcut is it?" Belle teased.

Phoebus grinned, "not exactly, no"

Belle smiled at him. From the climbing, her ribbon in her hair had come untied. She pulled it out, freeing her brown hair.

Phoebus came close to her. He looked into her brown eyes as she looked into his.

He brushed his fingers through her soft brown hair. He smiled at her. She smiled back at him. He tilted his head and exhaled slowly. She closed her eyes. She couldn't tell if this was one of her dreams.

Phoebus pulled her in closely, with one hand on her waist. His breathing was slow, and heavy.

She instinctively placed her hands on his chest, and for the first time, felt how muscular he actually was. She tilted her head up, looking at him. She lent herself to his will. He leaned in, and his lips touched hers. She closed her eyes, as she felt his lips between hers.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, not wanting to let go. It was the most magical feeling in the world. He placed a strong hand on her cheek.

She parted her lips, and exhaled slowly. She touched her lips to his. She tilted her head the opposite way, but he let her take control. She kissed him softly, and gently. He kissed her back with a dominating, but gentle intensity.

As he pulled away, he bit her lip. She was trying to catch her breath as he sent chills down her spine, and bumps raised on her skin. She breathed heavily, still trying to catch her breath.

He looked at her and she was smiling. He grabbed her hand and led her out of the catwalk. He led her up their street, and ensured she got home safely before returning to his own home.

Belle ran up the stairs before Maurice could even say hello to her. She closed her door and jumped onto her bed, landing face first into her pillows. She began to laugh giddily and uncontrollably. She sat up, holding one of her pillows to her chest. She smiled, and couldn't stop. She had been kissed by a boy


	13. Dreams: Old and New

**[A/N: For Reference: The character Helen, who is in this chapter, is Helen of Troy from the Hercules television series that aired on Disney Channel (1998-1999). Enjoy!]**

Cinderella looked into the mirror on her vanity. The vanity she had managed to scrape together enough money to buy from the antique shop. The vanity was a work in progress, on the weekends she sanded out the chips and scratches, and her checks from Daisy's could nearly cover some paint to refinish it.

She walked down the hallway and decended the stair case. She walked quietly into the entry hall to the kitchen. She pat Bruno on the head, and opened the pantry. She glared at Lucifer from across the kitchen as he watched her. She quietly prepared dinner as Bruno slept on his bed. She called her step mother and step sisters. As usual, she ate in the kitchen as her stepsisters picked and turned their noses up at their food. She washed the dishes and skipped upstairs.

"Jasmine said she heard he's moving here soon!" Drizella whispered to Anastasia.

As Cinderella walked by she paused at the crack in the door. "But I have priority! He's a senior, and he's mine! You can have your silly old Charles or whatever his name is!" Dizella yelled at Anastasia.

Cinderella continued to her own room and sat at her vanity. She admired her handy work. The new paint gave it a fresh new look. She pulled her kerchief out of her hair and reached for her brush, only to find it was missing. She looked around on top of her vanity and pulled open the drawer, only to pull the knob off. She sighed, and noted that new drawer knobs were next. She pryied the drawer open with her fingers, but could not find it. Also one of her bottles of perfume was gone.

She stood up and walked down the hallway to Anastasia's door. She had never been this bold. She usually let her step sisters walk all over her. But not today. Not when they had taken the hair brush that belonged to her mother, and a perfume bottle Meg had gotten her for her birthday. She nervously stood at Anastasia's door. Tiana's voice rang in her head telling her to stand up for herself. She knocked on the door. "Enter."

She walked into her room to find Anastasia laying on her bed reading the latest issue of Pixie magazine. "Where is my hair brush Anastasia?" She demanded.

"I don't know, ask Drizella." She replied with a twisted smile.

"Where is my perfume?"

"Ask Drizella."

Cinderella walked out of her room, slamming the door behind her. "Cinderella!" She heard Anastasia cry from her room.

She opened Drizella's door without knocking. "Some people knock," Drizella said, not looking up from her issue of Magic! magazine. "But then, some people have manners, unlike you." Her eyes darted up at Cinderella.

Cinderella was now steaming. "Some people ask to use other people's things before they take them, but some people have manners, unlike you!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Drizella replied.

"My hair brush? My perfume?" Cinderella asked.

"Are you accusing me of stealing?"

Anastasia entered the room with her hands over her ears. "Will you two stop! Mother!"

Lady Tremaine walked slowly up the stairs. "What is all this racket?"

"Cinderella accused me of stealing her hair brush!" Drizella cried.

Lady Tremaine looked at Cinderella with raised eyebrows. "Cinderella, is this true?"

"My hair brush was missing and I thought maybe Drizella had borrowed it, without asking."

"Drizella, did you take her hair brush?"

"No mother."

"Then this is settled."

Cinderella walked back to her room and shut the door. She heard Anastasia and Drizella giggling, she knew Drizella had taken her brush. She curled up on her bed, crying.

The next morning, Cinderella busily prepared breakfast. She had stopped trying so hard, as she knew her stepsisters turned their noses up at everything. She cleaned up the kitchen following breakfast, and grabbed her school bag to walk to the bus stop. She waited patiently for the bus. As usual, when it arrived she was one of the few people on the bus.

As the bus made its route, Esmerelda and Quasi boarded, followed by Pocahontas, Nakoma, and Kocoum. She listened to their light chatter. When the bus arrived at its fourth to last stop, a blonde girl boarded, whom Cinderella had never seen before. "Beat it Helen!" Esmerelda called.

"What's that, gypsy verment?"

Esmerelda stood up in her seat. Quasi grabbed her arm and tried to pull her down. "Why don't you go back to your own neck of the woods?"

"My daddy's car broke down." She replied.

The bus stopped at the next stop and Esmerelda fell back into her seat. "If all goes well, I'll have exactly what I want, and there is nothing you can do about it, gypsy!" Helen laughed.

Esmerelda's lip curled. She grabbed Helen by the front of her cheer uniform. "Why can't you leave Meg alone?" She snarled.

Helen was grabbing at her collar, gasping for air. Esmerelda dropped her. "This isn't over gypsy!" Helen replied, walking to the back of the bus.

Cinderella watched as she walked to the back where Phoebus usually sat. Helen sat down next to him and was making eyes at him. Phoebus, however, remained stone faced. He seemed different, but she couldn't tell how. The last few days he had been nearly ignoring every girl who approached him.

The bus rolled into the school, and Cinderella jumped off. She was surprised she hadn't seen John yet. She walked into the front gates of the school. She was walking toward Rapunzel when she heard her name. She turned around and saw John and Thomas. "I'm so sorry I couldn't ride the bus!"

"It's fine, you did miss out on a fight between Esmerelda and Helen though."

John laughed. Thomas was struggling to see the humor. John hugged her as the bell rang for class.

When it was finally lunch, Cinderella met with Meg in the hallway. Meg looked concerned. She said she hadn't seen Adonis all day. Cinderella walked out of her class and began to walk towards the courtyard. Meg began telling her about one of her classes.

They walked with the mass of students moving towards the courtyard. Cinderella remembered the fight on the bus, and was deciding whether or not she should tell Meg. Meg kicked at the ground as they moved toward the mas. She decided Meg would find it humorous, and might cheer her up, so she told her.

Meg looked at her, and smiled at the work of Esmerelda. There was a huge mob blocking their usual route to lunch, so Meg grabbed Cinderella and pulled her behind a building. Cinderella looked around. This was the so called underworld Belle had told her about.

She followed Meg and tried to only look forward. Cinderella cringed at the filthy walls and dark corners of the back route. She heard a shrill giggle. As they got closer to the courtyard, or as she assumed that's where Meg was leading her, the giggle became louder.

Meg's nose wrinkled at the high pitched sound. "We're almost there." Meg reassured her.

Cinderella nodded behind her. She heard the giggle again. This place was weird. She was about to follow Meg around a corner when she heard Meg gasp.

She came to the corner, afraid to look on the other side of it. "Meg?"

There was no reply. She peered around the corner to see Meg, standing in shock. She walked around the corner to see two more figures. She recognized Adonis right away, and the other was the blonde girl from the bus. "How could you?" Meg cried.

Adonis put his hand behind his neck. "Meg, baby, it's not what it looked like!"

"Really? If I wasn't seeing your lips locking with Helen's lips, then what did I see?" Meg demanded.

Adonis looked at her, speechless. Meg stared back at him, her teeth clenched. Helen's shrill giggle broke the silence. "Meg, you know you always have a special place in my heart!" Adonis began.

Tears were now streaming down her face. "Save it! You don't mean that! If I was that special to you, I wouldn't find you here with another girl!"

"Meg I wasn't thinking!"

Cinderella remained speechless. She couldn't believe that Helen was planning this all along. "When did you start? The second I came around the corner?"

"No! Meg!"

"Where am I supposed to go from here Adonis? Am I supposed to just forgive you for this?"

"Well, I suppose-"

"I'm sorry Adonis, but I don't think I can!"

He tried to sweep her up in his arms and hug her. She looked at him, and all her memories flashed before her eyes.

Hot tears continued to roll down her face. Adonis tried to lean in and kiss her, but she pushed his face away.

He looked at her. "I can't forgive you." She whispered as she pushed him away.

"So is this the end?" He asked.

She nodded. "Goodbye Adonis."

She grabbed Cinderella by the hand and pulled her out of the underworld to their tree. Belle, Rapunzel and Alice looked up. Meg sat down and put her face in her hands. "She broke up with Adonis." Cinderella explained.

The other three nodded. They wouldn't ask questions. They sat eating quietly until the bell rang to go to class. Cinderella was still in disbelief that she didn't see this coming.

When the day ended, Cinderella walked to the girls bathroom, as usual. John caught up with her. "How was your day?" He asked.

"Well, Meg found out Adonis was cheating on her and broke it off with him." She sighed.

"That's terrible!" John replied.

"I'll be right back," Cinderella muttered as she entered the girls bathroom.

John waited patiently for her as she changed for work. She emerged from the bathroom in a striped button down shirt, a blue skirt and an apron.

"This looks different from what you've worn in the past." John commented.

"I'm a waitress now!" Cinderella smiled.

She explained her day to John as they walked down to the diner. John interjected only when neccessary. She said goodbye to John as she entered the back. When she entered she waved to Jessica as she clocked in. Jessica was no longer her manager, as she no longer bused tables.

As she worked her shift she began to think about the day's events. She then recalled Meg asking about Helen at the dance. She continued to take orders and retrieve plates from the kitchen.

At the end of the night, she returned home. She opened the door, and walked through the entry hall to the kitchen. After her busy day at work, she began to make dinner. She could hear Anastasia and Drizella having a music lesson upstairs. Anastasia's off key flute playing and Drizella's tone deaf singing made Cinderella wince.

She served dinner and waited for her step mother and step sisters to finish. She took Bruno out, and then began to clear the table. Lucifer's eyes glowed in the darkness of the kitchen. "Stupid cat," she muttered.

When her chores were finished, she returned upstairs to her room. She pulled her books out and began working on homework. She opened her copy of Of Mice and Men and began reading.

Cinderella's head snapped up. She looked at the clock by her bed, 12:45. She had fallen asleep reading. She looked at her open book on her desk. She quickly closed it and put it back in her bag. She pulled out her math book and notebook and began doing her homework. She finally finished, 1:59. She sighed and changed out of her work clothes and into her night dress. Then, she curled up on her bed and fell asleep.

The sun coming through the curtains woke her the next morning. As always, she completed her morning chores, and readied herself for school. She walked to the bus stop, wondering what today's ride would bring.

She boarded the bus and watched the usual riders board the bus. John came and plopped next to her. She smiled. "How was work?" He asked.

"I enjoy it a lot more than busing tables!"

"Cinderella, I know we've never really talked about this, but what are your thoughts on having a boyfriend?"

She looked at him. "I guess I never really thought of having one. My step sisters used to tell all the boys to avoid me when we were in junior high."

"That is awful!"

"I guess I'm just used to it. Back then I was sensitive because it had only been a few years since my father passed away."

John nodded. "Would you be opposed to one now?"

Cinderella looked down in thought. "I don't really have time for one, I am constantly working between home school and the diner.

John nodded as the bus rolled into the school. They walked silently into the front gates. John walked with her to the door of her first period class. When the bell rang, she hugged him and walked in the door.

She sat in class, thinking about what John had said. She didn't know if she was truly ready to have a boyfriend. John was a great guy. There was no doubt about it. She lightly sketched on her note book "John smith" and "Cinderella and John smith"

When it was time for lunch she walked to Meg's classroom. Meg looked at her, but said nothing. They walked to their usual tree. John approached their tree. "Cinderella! Who do you have for French?"

"Monsieur D'arque."

"Can I please borrow your notes?"

She reached into her bag and pulled out her notebook and handed it to him. He thanked her and put the notebook in his bag. He turned, waved, and walked away.

Meg began sobbing. Belle looked at her over the top of her book. Rapunzel offered a consoling hug. Alice was staring at four folded pieces of paper on their table. Cinderella began to eat. They sat in silence.

When the day was over, Cinderella followed her routine of going to work. "Cinderella!" She heard.

She turned to find John running to catch up with her. "Hey! Thanks for your notes for Monsiuer D'arque's class! I didn't know you were in Advanced French."

"I started learning when I was younger, so I skipped a year, you know all the 'bonjour', 'j'ai m'appelle' stuff?"she replied.

"That's...incredible!" John replied.

They walked down the street to the diner. Cinderella said goodbye to John and entered the diner.

She was working happily at her new job as a waitress. The door of the diner opened wide. Jasmine entered followed by Aladdin, Aurora, Lottie, Helen, the Bimbettes, and following up the back was Adonis.

Cinderella looked over to the doors. "Oh no," she whispered.

Jasmine popped her gum. "How many?" Jessica asked at the hostess' stand.

"Can't you count? You aren't blonde like these girls over here. Nine." Jasmine replied.

Jessica looked shocked by Jasmines attitude. Cinderella giggled as she watched from the floor of the diner. Jessica sat them down in a large booth. "I hope your service isn't half as bad." Jasmine said, looking over at Cinderella.

Jessica walked over to Cinderella. "Can you take this large party?"

"Sure." She sighed.

She approached the table. "Hi! Welcome to Daisy's Diner! What can I get started for you to drink?"

"Vanilla milkshakes for the guys and diet cola for the rest of us." Jasmine answered.

"Watching our weight, are we?" Cinderella muttered.

"Chop, chop!" Aurora snapped.

Cinderella walked away to the kitchen. "Hey girl!" A familiar voice rang out.

It was Tiana, she was holding pitcher of water, and beaming at Cinderella. "I've missed you! I have to go, I have a table of Disney High seniors that won't be happy with slow service!" Cinderella said filling glasses with diet cola.

"I'm glad you're enjoying your new job!" Tiana beamed.

"Hey, thanks for the advice on standing up for myself, I needed it when Drizella took some of my things."

"Yeah?" Tiana asked, pouring glasses of water.

"Yeah, I didn't win, but I tried."

"Good for you, girl!" Tiana smiled.

Cinderella returned with their drinks. "Cinderella we need you on the next table over too." Jessica whispered in her ear.

Cinderella took the next table. They were rowdy seniors wearing red and gold letterman jackets. She sighed and walked up to the table. "Hi welcome to Daisy's Diner! What can I get started for you?"

"Hey tootsie, we'll have mud pie milkshakes all around!" One boy said.

"Coming right up!" Cinderella faked a smile.

She walked to the kitchen to put the order in and grabbed the plates for Jasmine's table. She returned to the other table to check on them and their drinks. "Hey, I never seen you in these parts, you in high school?" One boy asked.

"Yes, I go to high school." Cinderella replied.

"I never seen ya, where do you go?"

"Walt Disney High." She replied.

"Ha! You go to Walt Disney? Oh man, your football team sucks! Once you lost the dude with the concussion, it was all over!"

"I'm not really into sports." She looked at the letters on their jackets that read "SS" for Steven Spielburg High.

She turned and worked the rest of the night with the two rowdy tables. When her shift was over, she packed her bag and walked home. She had a pounding headache from the two tables.

When she got home, she went inside and went to bed, it was late and her step sisters had already eaten. She dressed in her night dress and curled up in bed.

Her dreams began to dance in her head, filled with John


	14. Curiouser and Curiouser

Alice stared at the papers on her desk. One had a smile drawn on it, one had a swirl drawn on it, one had a card drawn on it, and one had a flower drawn on it. She had no idea where these had come from. She pulled her math book from her bag and put it on her desk and flipped through the pages. She began quietly working on her homework.

She heard the door open downstairs. "Father!" She heard Mathilda exclaim.

She rushed downstairs to see her mother and father standing in the entry hall of their home. Her mind was racing, as she was excited and concerned about the fact her parents were home early from work. "We thought we would surprise you girls and go out for dinner!" Her father smiled.

Alice smiled with excitement. Her parents never did this. Mathilda smiled at her parents. Mathilda looked as though she had just freshened herself up, and had gotten dressed up.

They got in the car and Alice restrained herself from bothering her sister in the back seat. Mathilda glanced at her. Alice smiled sweetly, but was plotting against the content state of her sister. The car pulled into the parking lot of Pizza Port. "Father, this doesn't look very fancy!" Mathilda said, disgusted.

Alice's eyes widened at the glowing space ship on the top of the building. "We thought we would change it up, and go for something more, fun." Their father replied, smiling at Alice.

They walked inside, and Mathilda looked terrified of the young children running freely about the restaurant. They were shown to a table, and Alice excitedly flipped open the menu. Mathilda was digging through her purse, looking for some kind of sanitation.

"Alice how is school?" Her father asked.

"It's going well." She replied, looking at Mathilda.

They ordered pizza for the family and waited. Her parents sipped happily on glasses of cola, Alice on orange soda, and Mathilda on water. Mathilda looked as though she was in her own nightmare.

Alice cheerfully talked with her parents, while Mathilda stared at children running back and forth past their table. Their waitress brought huge trays with pizzas bigger than Alice had ever seen.

Alice and her parents grabbed the pizza with their hands, while Mathilda insisted on cutting hers with a knife and fork. Alice snickered at watching Mathilda trying to be formal in such an informal place.

When no one could eat another bite, Alice's father payed the check, and they piled in the car and drove home. Tired and full, Alice skipped up the stairs and finished her homework. She was sitting at her desk when she heard a small "mew". "Oh! Dinah! There you are!"

A brown kitten emerged from under her bed. The kitten jumped up on top of her bed and curled up. Alice smiled as she changed into her night dress. She walked across the hall to the bathroom and brushed her teeth. She looked into Mathilda's doorway as she walked down the hall to her room. Mathilda was sitting in a chair reading. Her eyes darted up at Alice, and Alice looked away. When she finished brushing her teeth, she walked back to her bedroom. She curled up on her bed, with Dinah at her side.

The next morning Alice readied herself for school. After she got dressed, she tied her navy bow into her hair, and slipped on her socks. She skipped down the stairs, put on her shoes, grabbed her bag, and ran out the door.

Alice ran into Wendy walking down their street. "Hello Alice!" She said, smiling.

Alice crossed the street and walked with her. "I've decided that if Peter wants to date Tiger Lily it's fine with me."

Alice looked at her, her brow furrowed. "Are you still stuck on Peter?"

"Well he is only perfect in every way, but I suppose, as his friend, I accept his choice of Tiger Lily."

Alice rolled her eyes. They began to approach the school. She said goodbye to Wendy and walked into the front gate with Rapunzel. The quickly approached Belle, who was sitting on a bench reading. They noticed someone else sitting on the bench. Coming in closer proximity, Alice noticed it was Meg. "So this is what you do every morning?" Meg asked Belle plainly.

Belle nodded without looking up from her book. "Hey Meg!" Alice smiled.

Meg smiled, although she looked distraught. The bell rang for class, and Alice walked to English. She sat in her usual seat, and waited for Peter to come in. "Hey Alice!"

"Hi Peter!"

He sat down next to her. "Peter, is it true you like Tiger Lily?"

"Well, I do think she is very beautiful. I would love to take her out, but I'm afraid she would say no."

"What do you think about Wendy?"

"Wendy Darling? Teacher's pet Wendy?"

Alice was now worried. Peter didn't appear to have a positive feeling about Wendy at all. "Yes, Wendy Darling"

"She is too perfect for me, have you seen her hair? Not a curl is out of place! And her face is like a little porcelain doll!"

"So you don't know which one to choose?" She asked.

Peter shook his head. As class began, they took out their books and began to read. When the class was over, Alice gathered her things and walked out of the class room. She walked quickly down the hallway, her notebook in her arms. She was confused as to why Peter felt Wendy was too good for him. Her mind began to wander as she followed the flow of students.

Her day dreaming was broken when she hit the floor. She looked around and a hand was offered out infront of her. She grabbed it and it pulled her up.

She dusted off her knees and looked at the stranger infront of her. She had never seen him before. His collar was popped, and his necktie was loose around his neck. He was wearing a tan and navy plaid news boy cap. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine" she said, examining her hands.

"The name is Tarrant, Tarrant Hightopp."

"I'm Alice, Alice Liddell." She giggled.

She looked down at her notebook, and looked back up, only to find he was gone. Confused, she continued on to her math class. She sat down and began to think about Tarrant. When she looked up, and found she was far behind the rest of the class. She scribbled down the notes, and left the class when the bell rang, and walked to her locker to change out books.

When the bell rang for lunch, Alice walked across the courtyard. She heard foot steps behind her, but turned to find no one. She continued walking, and again heard footsteps. She stopped and looked around, again finding no one. She turned to walk again, and screamed.

Tarrant was standing infront of her. "Hey Alice!"

"H-hi Tarrant!" She said, in shock.

"We didn't really get to talk before!"

Alice didn't want to mention this was because he had disappeared. "Do you like flowers?" Tarrant asked.

"Well, I am particularly fond of daisies." Alice replied.

Tarrant handed her a bouquet of daisies. Alice looked at him in surprise. "Where do you usually eat lunch?" He asked.

"Oh! I eat with my friends, Rapunzel, Belle, Cinderella, and Meg." Alice replied.  
Tarrant shrugged. Alice turned, to point to where their tree was. "We eat at that picnic table under that tree over there."

She turned back to find he was gone. She was confused, he seemed to disappear at the oddest times. She continued to walk to their tree.

She sat down next to Rapunzel. Meg looked at Belle. "What's got you off in La La land?"

"Nothing." She replied.

Meg looked at her suspiciously. Belle smiled at her. Alice unpacked her lunch and began to eat. Cinderella and Rapunzel ate in silence. "I have to grab something from my locker!" Alice announced.

The other girls looked at her as she stood up and walked away. She walked quickly to her locker and twisted her combination. Something fluttered from her door to the ground. She grabbed her books for the afternoon. She closed her locker, and bent down to pick up the paper that fluttered out of her locker.

She unfolded it to find stripes. She sighed and stuck it in the pocket of her bag with the other four.

When the day was over, Alice walked out the front gates. "Alice!" She heard.

She spun around to see Tarrant again. "Tarrant! You always disappear at the most inconvienent times!"

He looked at her and pulled a yellow handkerchief from his sleeve and examined it. "Do I?"

Alice frowned. "I was going to ask you to eat with us, but you disappeared!"

"Did I?" He smiled.

Alice let out a sigh. She continued to walk up the street. "Alice wait!" He called.

"I can't I have to go home to my sister!" She replied, turning to run.

"Alice!" He called.

She turned to look back as she ran up the street. When she reached her door, she bent over, trying to catch her breath. She unlocked the door, and walked inside. "Good afternoon Mathilda!" She called, running up the stairs.

"Alice Pleasence Liddell! Come back down here!" Mathilda called.

Alice walked downstairs. "Why were you trying to catch your breath as you entered the house?" Mathilda asked.

"I'm trying running home from school! It's a new fad really!" Alice said, turning to walk away.

Mathilda was suspicious as Alice ran upstairs and shut her door. She reached into her bag and pulled out the pieces of paper. She unfolded them and smoothed them on her desk. "Mew"

"Dinah! I have these mysterious papers, and I don't know who they're from!"

"Meow"

"I don't know Dinah! I don't know what they mean!"

She picked up Dinah, and pet her on the head. Dinah purred as she sat on Alice's lap. She put Dinah down and pushed the papers aside. She pulled out her books and began to do her homework. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she slipped into a dream.

She was sitting in a field of daisies. She looked down and saw Dinah by her side. The flowers shuffled. "Dinah! What- oh! Dinah! What is that?"

She looked down to see a white cotton tail. It was a white rabbit. She started to follow it. "Alice! What are you doing?" Mathilda's voice rang in her ears.

"Alice you are going to be late for school!"

Her eyes fluttered open, and Mathilda was standing over her. "Come on Alice!"

Alice dragged herself to the shower. She put on a clean skirt and blouse and pulled on new socks. On her way out the door, she grabbed her bag. She was glad it was Friday. She walked with Wendy, who was, as usual, talking about Peter.

"Wendy, I had a dream last night. I saw a white rabbit!"

"That is ridiculous Alice!"

"But it was a dream, a truly wonderful dream, until Mathilda woke me up!"

They rounded the corner into the school. Alice walked in with Rapunzel, who was walking with Ariel. "And Alana cried 'that's not fair! Do you know what he would do to me?' And I just rolled my eyes." Ariel was telling Rapunzel.

They walked across the courtyard when the bell rang. Alice walked into her english class to find a folded piece of paper on her desk. She unfolded it to find a silhouette of a rabbit, drawn in pencil.

She sat down and waited patiently for Peter as she stuffed the note into her bag. He came and sat next to her, right before class was about to start. They listened to lecture, nd then opened their books to read.

When it was lunch again, Alice found a yellow handkerchief on the ground. She bent down to pick it up. "Hey Alice!" She heard.

It was Tarrant again. "I believe you dropped this!" She said, handing it to him.

"You keep that, I have plenty more!" He said, pulling a red one out of his sleeve.

At the end of the day, Alice, Rapunzel, Belle, Cinderella, and Meg walked to Clarabelle's. it had been a few weeks since they had met and had a drink while they talked.

As Meg pulled the door open, the bell on the handle rang. "Hi welcome to Clarabelle's!" Clarabelle called.

They sat down and waited for her to finish in the kitchen. "Can I get you girls the usual?" She asked.

"Yes please!" Belle replied.

They talked excitedly as the blender whirred with their drinks. Alice decided it would be best not to say anything about Tarrant. They talked about their upcoming break from school. They knew better than to bring up Adonis infront of Meg.

Clarabelle brought them their drinks. They drank in silence. When it was time to close that café, the girls helped Clarabelle clean up.

Alice walked home alone. She entered e front door, and greeted her sister. Her mother was in the kitchen. "Mother! You're home from work!"

"Yes, Alice, I'm cutting down my working time so I can spend more time with you and your sister!"

Alice smiled. She skipped upstairs. She pulled the note she had found out of her bag and unfolded it. The rabbit on it strangely resembled the one in her dreams. She unfolded all the papers and laid them out on her desk. As far as she was concerned, this was all madness. She couldn't make any sense of it. Every time she got a new note she hoped it would hold an answer for her, but it was just weirder than the one before it.

She sighed and looked at Dinah curled up on her bed. The kitten was so peaceful. Alice pulled a book off her self and began to read.

When it was dinner time, her mother called Alice and Mathilda to the table. They sat with their mother and father and ate peacefully. This was the first time in as long as Alice could remember them eating a homecooked meal, together.

"Alice dear, how was school today?"her father asked.

"Fine" she replied.

As Mathilda attempted to engage her parents in boring conversation, Alice's mind began to wander. She thought about her dream, and how the notes curiously related to it.

"Alice!" Mathilda called.

"Yes?"

"See father, she is always distracted!"

"She's dreaming and imagining, let it go Mathilda."

Mathilda asked to be excused. Her mother got up and began washing dishes. Alice asked to be excused, and went back to her room.

She looked at the notes again, and then looked over at Dinah. She got dressed for bed, and washed her face and brushed her teeth. She climbed into bed, and grabbed a book she had been reading.

As she got lost in the characters, her eyelids grew heavy, it was an all too familiar feeling. She slowly drifted away to sleep, and this time she knew she was going to catch that rabbit.


	15. A New Student

Meg looked at a picture of her and Adonis in her room. She picked it up and threw it in her trashcan, frame and all. The glass shattered, and pieces fell out. She didn't care.

She picked up her trash can and walked around her room, throwing stuffed animals, pictures, and anything that reminded her of Adonis away. She collected all the picture frames with pictures of them inside and put them on her bed. She sat down and opened the back of each one, took e picture out, ripped it in half, and threw it away. She grabbed a bracelet he had gotten her and threw it in her trash.

On her dresser, something sparkled. She walked over to examine it. It was a pink crystal heart on a chain. The necklace Adonis had given her for her birthday. She picked it up and threw it in the trash.

She picked up a photo of them at a football game and ripped it in half, and threw it away. Tears began rolling down her cheeks. She filled her trash can, and she pulled the liner out and tied it to take out. She couldn't bring herself to take it out. She put it in the corner of her room, and sat on her bed sobbing. "Megara! Come eat!" Her mother called.

Meg stopped in the bathroom to wash her face. Her mascara had run into black streaks down her face. Her purple eyeshadow was smeared on her eyelids. She hadn't been this upset since Adonis had slipped into a coma.

She walked slowly down the stairs, and down into the kitchen. She poked at her food, and ate a few bites. She took a sip of her drink. Then she asked to be excused.

Her mother looked at her, worried. "Megara!" Her father called.

She put her plate in the sink. "Yes?"

"Why aren't you eating?"

"I'm not hungry." She lied, and walked out of the kitchen.

As she walked up the stairs, she heard her mother try to explain the distress she had been feeling over Adonis. Her father grunted disapprovingly. "It's only a high school boyfriend." He told her mother.

She walked into her room and slammed the door. She looked around for any remaining objects that Adonis had given her. She picked up the bag from her trash can and shoved it into her closet, she would deal with it later.

The next morning, she slipped on a new blouse and a fresh shirt. She slipped on new socks, and walked into her bathroom. She picked up her brush and tried hard to pull it through her thick, messy curls. She pulled her hair up to the crown of her head, and tied it with a hair elastic. She dug through her drawers for her makeup, and quickly powdered her face, dusted eyeshadow on, and drew on eyeliner. She took a few swipes of mascara, and a quick swipe of lipstick. She skipped down the stairs and put on her black school wedges. She walked out the door, unsure of how to form a new routine. She had always come to school with Adonis.

She walked out of her neighbor hood alone. She watched the cars go by as she waited to cross the street. She saw a fancy pearl pearl white car that she recognized. It was Adonis zooming up the street with Helen giggling shrilly in the passenger seat. Meg's face grew hot.

She walked into the side gate of the school, as she always did. "Hey!" Esmerelda called.

She looked at Esmerelda and Quasi standing with Pocahontas, Nakoma, and Kocoum. Esmerelda gave Meg a hug, "you don't need that jerk!" She smiled reassuringly.

"I can't believe what we had built for months is now gone, in a second, to some stupid cheerleader who has the most annoying laugh I've ever heard!" Meg replied.

Across the courtyard she saw Jasmine and Aurora, who appeared to have stopped Alana and Ariel from entering the school. "Tree trunk is up to something." Meg muttered.

Esmerelda looked at her. "Jasmine, she's a junior who torments the other junior girls. So Cinderella, Belle, and Rapunzel tell me. She's also dating that scum, Aladdin" Meg replied.

Esmerelda nodded. The bell rang, and Esmerelda, Meg, and Quasi walked to their Theological Studies class. They sat down in the back of the classroom. The classroom was dark, and had an eerie feeling. "Class pull out your books and flip to page 317." A cold voice echoed.

Esmerelda stuck her tongue out as Quasi and Meg flipped through their books. "Greek Mythology?" Quasi asked.

"Yes Quasimodo, Greek Mythology, now that we've established you can read, can anyone explain this to me? Megara?" Mr. Frollo asked.

"It is the Theological belief of the Ancient Grecians?" Meg replied.

"Tell me something I don't know, Megara!" He replied sarcastically.

The class was silent. Mr. Frollo turned on the overhead projector and let it warm up. "Weren't we focusing on Catholic beliefs last week?" Esmerelda whispered.

Meg and Quasi shrugged. "Esmerelda would you like to keep your unholy mouth shut during class?" Frollo's voice rang out.

"Mr. Frollo, I have a question!" Esmerelda smiled, her hand straight in the air.

"Well then it can wait until after class." He replied.

Esmerelda frowned and slumped in her chair. Frollo placed a transparency on the projector, and adjusted the projector to the screen. He grabbed his pointer and began to lecture. Esmerelda looked at Meg, and Meg shrugged.

The bell rang, and Meg, Quasi, and Esmerelda exited the classroom. "All questions can wait until after class!" Esmerelda mocked Frollo.

Meg and Quasi laughed. Meg walked alone to English. She entered the classroom and sat down. She listened as Miss Aphrodite lectured about the chapter she hadn't read. She sighed, and looked at the cover of her notebook. It said 'Meg + Adonis' with a heart drawn around it. She dug through her bag and pulled out the same black marker she had written it with back in August. She angrily filled in the heart so the words were unable to be read.

The bell rang, and Meg got up and left to walk to her math class. She ran into Pocahontas in the hallway. They entered their math class together.

In her math class, Meg tried to follow along. She scribbled down notes, and began to greatly despise whoever had invented calculus. She looked over at Pocahontas, who seemed to be enjoying the lesson. She sighed. Pocahontas raised her hand, and asked the teacher a question. Meg couldn't believe how easy things came to Pocahontas. Granted, she probably did her homework.

Meg looked down at her notebook, and saw her handwriting had ran into itself, and she couldn't make out what she had written. She decided to ask Pocahontas for her notes when class was over.

At fourth period, she walked to her level four science class. She sat down at her lab table, next to her lab partner, Alana. Alana was looking in a compact, and touching up her makeup.

"We might as well get this over with," she sighed, looking at her lab handout.

Alana looked at her. Meg raised her eyebrow and looked at Alana. Alana got up and filled their test tubes with chemicals.

Meg carefully followed the directions while Alana fixed her hair. The bell rang for lunch, and Meg left the classroom with Alana. "Thank you for doing our lab, I'm no good at science." Alana said sweetly.

"Clearly." Meg muttered.

They walked down the hallway. "Alana!" A voice called.

"Oh no!" Alana cried as she turned around.

A boy was chasing after them. He was tall and skinny, and had orange hair, with a red band around his head. He was awkwardly running towards them. He looked as though he was about to trip over his own feet. Alana put her head in her hand. Meg looked at her, curiously.

"H-hey Alana!" He said, catching his breath.

Alana sighed. "Meg, this is my cousin, Hercules."

"H-h-hello," he managed to stutter out.

Meg raised an eyebrow. "Are you always this articulate?"

"Today is his first day here, he and my aunt and uncle just moved here." Alana explained.

He smiled at Meg. Meg raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Well, I'll see you around, wonder boy." Meg said, flipping her hair behind her.

Meg walked to the usual tree. She sat down, and for the first time, wasn't upset over her breakup with Adonis. Cinderella was discussing her English class with Rapunzel. Belle had her nose in a book. Meg looked at the cover, which had a girl sleeping on it. Meg decided it was too uninteresting to ask about. Meg suddenly remembered what she had seen that morning. "Girls! This morning I saw Tree Trunk and her crew talking to Alana and Ariel!"

Belle looked up from her book "weird."

"Weren't they in some kind of argument at the dance?" Cinderella asked.

Meg nodded. She looked out into the courtyard and saw Ariel and Alana walking with Hercules. She saw them being approached by Jasmine, Aurora, Aladdin, Drizella, Helen, and Adonis.

She sighed. Helen was hanging onto Adonis' arm. She looked over again and saw Jasmine and Alana arguing. "Look!" She cried.

The girls looked across the courtyard to see the argument. Just before the fighting got serious, Mr. Hermes, one of the P.E. teachers broke up the fight. He appeared to wink at Hercules.

They then watched as Alana began to yell at Hercules. Ariel pulled her sister away, and the three continued walking across the courtyard.

"That was, interesting." Belle said.

"It's weird Mr. Hermes did that to that guy." Alice added.

"Why are Alana and Ariel walking with him, I've never seen him before." Belle commented.

"He's their cousin, today is his first day." Meg replied.

When the day was over, Meg walked alone to the hospital. She walked through the sliding doors to the front desk. "Megara." She said to the receptionist.

The receptionist pointed to a sign in sheet, and she signed her name. She walked to the back and pulled on a lab over her uniform. She searched for the doctor who healed Adonis.

When she found him he smiled and reached for his keys. "If I broke up with Adonis, am I free from the deal?" She asked.

The doctor laughed. "Of course not, you signed the contract regardless of your relationship with Adonis!"

Meg sighed and grabbed the keys from his hand, and unlocked the room she worked in.

Four hours later, she emerged from the hospital. "Hey Meg!"

She turned to see Esmerelda and Quasi. "Hey," she sighed, walking down the street.

"It's pretty odd what Frollo did today, huh?" Esmerelda asked.

"Yeah," Meg sighed, " I don't understand why we just dropped Catholic Beliefs, when we only started it last week, and he didn't even give us a test!"

"Probably some scheme of his," Quasi answered.

"Are you complaining he didn't give us a test?" Esmerelda asked.

"No, it's just not like Frollo" Meg replied.

She reached her house and said goodbye to Esmerelda and Quasi. "Meg it's time to eat!" Her mother called.

Meg sat down and served herself salad from the bowl in the center of the table. She began to eat, and her parents looked startled. "Did you have a good day at school?" Her father asked.

"It was like usual," she replied.

She finished her dinner and walked upstairs. She sat down and opened her Theology book. She flipped through it until she found the section of Greek mythology. She began to read, curious why Frollo was so intent on her answer.

An hour, and more knowledge on Greek mythology later, Meg closed her book and layed on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She rolled over and decided if she was going to read, she might as well read the book they were reading in English.

At ten o'clock, she got off her bed and changed into her pajamas. She got into bed, and for the first time since their breakup, didn't cry over Adonis.

When Meg woke up the next morning, she immediately went to her closet. She pulled out the bag she was going to throw away. Esmerelda was right, she didn't need a jerk like him. She put the bag by her bed, she would take it out when she went to get breakfast. She showered and got ready for school.

Before she went downstairs she grabbed her school bag and the trash bag and walked down the steps. She walked out to their trash bin and threw away the bag of everything that reminded her of Adonis. She grabbed a piece of toast, she decided to eat it on the way to school.

She walked confidently to school. She met with Esmerelda, Quasi, Pocahontas, Nakoma, and Kocoum as they got off the bus. She decided this would be her new routine. "Hey Meg!" Esmerelda called excitedly.

"Thank you for telling me to give up Adonis, I feel better now." Meg said sincerely.

Esmerelda smiled. The bell rang, and they walked to Theological Studies. Quasi opened the door to the dark classroom, and the girls followed him. They sat in their usual seats in the back. More students filed in, as the tardy bell neared. Meg took out her book "last night I read the Greek Mythology section, and I can't find what Frollo was looking for." She whispered.

Esmerelda frowned. "With him there is always a reason!"

The tardy bell rang. Frollo stood up from his desk and flicked on the projector. The light flickered as it heated up. "Can anyone tell me what Greek Mythology is?" He asked.

Meg raised her hand. "Ah! Megara!"

"Is it the belief system of the ancient Grecians? Their belief system of multiple gods?"

"Is that a question?" Frollo replied.

"No sir, it's my answer." Meg said quietly.

"Well, you're getting there." Frollo replied.

Suddenly the door opened, and blinding light came into the dark classroom. "Mr. Frollo?"

"Come in and close the door you idiot!" Frollo replied.

"This is Theological studies? Correct?" The voice asked.

"Yes you've managed to find the right place, now get in and close the door!"

The figure walked into the classroom and shut the door. The figure approached Frollo and handed him a piece of paper. "Ah, today is your first day?"

"No actually yesterday was, but my schedule was mixed up, and they just corrected it today!" The voice said excitedly.

"Very well, have a seat." Frollo pointed out into the classroom.

As the figure walked toward the class, Meg could make out his orange hair. It was Hercules. He sat in an empty desk. "Back to what I was saying about Greek Mythology." Frollo said, as though nothing had happened.

Hercules gasped "Greek mythology is the body of myths and teachings that belong to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices!"

Frollo was unamused. "Yes, but next time please raise your hand." He said.

Meg, Esmerelda, and Quasi looked at him, startled. When the bell rang for class to be over, Frollo turned a dim light on and wrote the homework on the board. They frantically wrote down their homework and left.

"hey!" She heard.

She turned around, it was Hercules. "Um, I was uh, wondering if you could tell me where this English class is? With Aphrodite?"

Just her luck, Hercules was also in her next class. "I have Miss Aphrodite right now too, I'll show you where her classroom is." She replied.

"Thanks," he laughed, "Alana and Ariel haven't really been much help."

"So you guys are cousins?" Meg asked.

"Yeah my dad is Ariel and Alana's dad's brother." He replied.

Meg nodded as she opened the classroom door. "So you're into Greek mythology?" Meg asked.

"Well, I am Grecian, my parents encourage it!" He replied.

Meg suddenly felt bad, as being of Grecian decent, she knew barely anything about the stories and myths. "How are you liking good old Disney High?" Meg asked.

Hercules walked up to Miss Aphrodite and handed her his schedule. With out looking at it, she looked at him and gave him a hug.

He returned to where Meg was sitting. "It seems pretty cool. I met some pretty interesting people, for instance Jasmine."

"Avoid her, she's bad news."

"And Aurora?"

"Also bad news."

"And their friend, Drizella."

"Don't know much about her, but I can tell you, she's Cinderella's step sister, so she is probably also bad news."

Hercules laughed. "You seem alright, but some of the teachers are creepy, like that guy Mr. Frollo, what's his deal?"

"I have yet to figure that one out." Meg replied nonchalantly.

Hercules looked at her. Miss Aphrodite stood infront of the class "Class I want you to welcome our newest member, Hercules."

The class looked at Hercules, and he gave a small wave.

When it was time for lunch, Meg walked with Alana and Hercules. They walked out of the building into the courtyard. "Hey Jerkcules!" A voice called.

They turned around, only to see Adonis, with Helen holding his arm.


	16. Ruffians and the day before break

"Rapunzel, you don't hang out with ruffians at school, do you?" Her mother asked.

"No mother."

Rapunzel looked into her mother's grey eyes. Her mother pat her on the head. Rapunzel stared at her mother as her black curls bounced as she walked over to the couch and picked up her copy of Magic! magazine.

She sighed and walked upstairs. "Just one more day Pascal, one more day until we are off from school for a week!"

Pascal nodded. She sat at her desk and finished her homework. "When will my life begin?" She sighed.

She heard shouting coming from outside. She walked to her window and opened it and sat on the sill. Shang Li, the Stabbington brothers, and Flynn Rider were throwing around a football in the middle of the street. She sighed, Shang was always having his friends over.

She watched the game, and noticed how the ball was specifically kept away from Flynn. Three more boys came up the street, and Shang's friends Yao and Ling joined in the game. Chien Po sat, relaxed, on Shang's front lawn. "That all you got Rider?" Yao yelled.

Flynn was trying hard to keep up. Rapunzel watched as Yao punched Flynn in the arm. Flynn tried to laugh it off, but tripped, and took in a mouthful of blacktop. "Aw, come on Rider!" The guys called.

Flynn pulled himself off the street and called, "is that the best you've got?"

The guys came after him, and he started running. Ling pushed Flynn and he tripped, giving Shang the opportune moment to take Flynn out. He didn't pass up the chance, and hit Flynn to the ground. "Chien Po! Get all those boys in here to eat!" His mother called.

"Mrs. Li has prepared some delicious food for us!" Chien Po called.

The guys ran into the Li household, leaving Flynn motionless on the pavement. Rapunzel rolled down her ladder and climbed down to the street. She pulled Flynn, seeing he was unconscious, to her gate. Figuring he was already not in great shape, she pushed him up over her fence. She struggled to pull him up her ladder to her room. She examined him. "Rapunzel?" Her mother called.

She gasped, and pulled Flynn to her closet and pushed him inside. She closed the door and locked it. "Yes mother?" She replied.

"Come down here!" She called.

Rapunzel looked at her closet door, and reluctantly walked down the stairs. "Yes, mother?"

Her mother was looking in a mirror, scrunching her black curls. "Ah Rapunzel! Mommy needs to run down to the store, is there anything you want?"

"No mother." She replied.

Her mother pulled on an overcoat and grabbed her purse. She waved to Rapunzel as she walked out the door.

Rapunzel skipped up the stairs back to her room. She closed her bedroom door, and looked wearily at her closet door. She knew she would have to work quickly in order for Shang and his friends to not notice. She unlocked her closet door, and Flynn, still unconscious, tumbled out. She let out a yelp, and tried to drag him to the center of her floor.

He was pretty badly beaten up. She examined his bruised face. Pascal looked at her, and watched her run down the stairs. She grabbed a bag and filled it with ice, and ran back up the stairs.

She placed it on Flynn's face, and he woke with a start. His brown eyes blinked, and saw Rapunzel kneeling over him. "Where am I?" He asked.

"In my bedroom." Rapunzel replied.

Flynn looked around. "Well, I must say, I never expected to not remember coming into a girls bedroom."

Rapunzel frowned, "it's not like that! Your friends really beat you up out there, and I was, uh, just trying to help."

Flynn looked at her curiously, as he tried to fully sit up. He groaned in pain. "Stop! You'll hurt yourself!" Rapunzel cried, easing him to the floor.

He looked up to see her brilliant green eyes. She placed the bag of ice back on his head. She eased him up slowly. "Please be careful!" She said.

She helped him to his feet. Just then she heard the front door unlock. "Rapunzel?" Her mother called.

"Oh no!" She whispered.

Flynn looked at her. Rapunzel spun him around and pushed him into her closet and shut the door, and locked it. "Hey!" He banged on the door, "what's going on?"

"Please, stay quiet for just a few minutes!" She whispered at the door. "Yes, mother?" She called.

She skipped down the stairs, and smiled at her mother. "Mommy is very tired, will you please cook?"

"Yes mother," she replied nervously.

She tried to make something quickly, thinking of Flynn stuck in her closet. Rapunzel worked nervously in the kitchen. "Flower? is something troubling you?" her mother asked.

"No mother," Rapunzel lied.

She put her mother's plate on the counter, and filled her own, with extra helpings to give to Flynn. "Rapunzel, if you eat all that, you'll end up getting, well, chubby!" Her mother warned.

"I'm just, uh, really hungry tonight!" Rapunzel smiled, "I'm going to eat in my room, I have a lot of homework to do tonight."

Her mother looked shocked. Rapunzel smiled as she skipped up the stairs. She walked back into her room and locked the door. She unlocked her closet and let Flynn out of the closet. "Sorry, my mother came home!" She said, offering him her plate.

"Is this for me?" He asked as she pulled him by the hand to sit on her bed.

She nodded. "Thank you, I don't know what to say!" He looked at her gratefully.

She smiled as he ate. When he finished, he thanked her, and she showed him her rope ladder to climb down. "You pulled me up that ladder?" He asked.

She nodded. Pascal climbed up her shoulder. "It's the only way you can escape, I do it all the time." She replied.

He looked at her gratefully, and thanked her. He climbed down the ladder and walked back out onto the street. She sat on the window sill and watched him wait for Shang and his friends. "Hey Rider! Lookin better man!" Shang said, patting Flynn on the back.

Flynn winced. Rapunzel smiled and turned back to her homework. As she finished, she closed her books and put them back in her bag. She got dressed for bed, and said goodnight to her mother.

She looked out her window, and saw Shang, Yao, Ling, and Chien Po laying on Shang's front lawn. She looked back at Pascal, and walked to her bed. She sat on her bed, and Pascal crawled up to her shoulder. She curled up and fell asleep.

The next morning, Rapunzel hummed as she got dressed. Pascal looked at her. "It's the last day before we have break!"

Pascal smiled. Rapunzel looked in the mirror as she brushed her hair. She carefully braided her hair. She packed her bag, and placed Pascal in the pocket on the side. She ran down the stairs. "Goodbye mother!" She called.

She walked out the front door. She walked along the sidewalk, and saw Shang pulling out of his driveway in a black sports car. She continued walking, and her mind began to wander.

She reached the front gates, and met Alice. They walked in together, and met Belle, who was peacefully reading. "Today is our last day of school before break!" Alice said, excitedly.

Belle smiled, "well deserved at that."

The bell rang, and Rapunzel walked to history. She pulled the door open and entered the classroom. She sat down and waited for Jane. Dr. Doppler talked excitedly with Jim Hawkins. Jane came in and sat down next to Rapunzel. "Rapunzel! I need your advice!"

Rapunzel looked at her. "I don't know what to do about this boy! I don't know how to talk to him!"

"Jane! Take a breath!"

Jane took a deep breath, "break starts tomorrow! What am I going to do?"

"We'll have you ever actually talked to him?" Rapunzel asked.

Jane looked down thoughtfully, "no, so I guess nothing will change, thanks Rapunzel!"

Rapunzel smiled. Dr. Doppler began to lecture. Rapunzel looked over at Jane and saw her doodling on her notebook. She shrugged, it was the last day before break, no one would be focused today.

At third period, she walked to English, and sat next to Cinderella. Mr. Thatch was stumbling around the classroom, trying to get plans together. Cinderella touched her necklace, as she watched Mr. Thatch bumble about the classroom. "Class, please continue reading in your books!" He cried out.

Cinderella and Rapunzel looked at each other and shrugged. They pulled out their books and began to read. The bell rang, and Rapunzel hurried off to science. She reached the door, winced as she walked by Jasmine and Aladdin, and entered the classroom.

She sat down, and waited for class to start. Since she had let go of Ferdinand, she had failed to find a new lab partner. She waited patiently lab table, alone. The tardy bell rang, and the class hurried to their seats. "Settle down, settle down!" Professor Amelia yelled.

The class sat down, and Professor Amelia rummaged through her drawers. "Class today we are doing a lab! I will pair you up! Take out your notebooks, and a pen or pencil!" She pulled a vile out of her drawer and smiled.

"Alright, I'll pair you up! Aurora! You'll be paired with-"

Aurora smiled at Aladdin. She looked back at Professor Amelia. Professor Amelia looked at her clip board and frowned. "Ah! I believe my calculations are incorrect! Miss Aurora will be paired with Miss Mulan! Ferdinand! You'll be working with Eric! And Rapunzel you'll be working with Aladdin! Let me see-"

Aurora looked disgustedly at a girl who was sitting in the back corner. The girl looked upset. Rapunzel felt bad for her. Aurora stuck out her tongue and looked at Aladdin. Aladdin shrugged and got up. Rapunzel held her head in her hands.

Aladdin plopped down next to her. "Hey, Punzie, were going to get along great!" He smiled.

Rapunzel cringed, she hated being called Punzie as much as she hated being called Blondie. She faked a smile to Aladdin. "So, what are we doing?" He asked.

Rapunzel was disappointed, she figured he would have at least listened to the instructions. "Well," she tried to sound calm and patient, "since we're demonstrating the concept of solutions and mixtures, we want to show how the different elements we've been given will not mixed because of different densities."

"Wow, you're good at this!" Aladdin exclaimed.

"Let's just get this over with," Rapunzel sighed.

They strapped on goggles and Rapunzel grabbed a beaker. "So, you and Fernie over there in a rough spot?" Aladdin asked slyly.

Rapunzel gasped and spilled the corn syrup she was pouring. "Sore point, I presume?" Aladdin smiled.

"We went to a dance together, we were never together!" Rapunzel growled.

Aladdin sat back in his chair as Rapunzel poured the different liquids in the beaker. "Done." Rapunzel said sternly.

"Alright! Now what?" Aladdin asked.

"You have to draw the beaker and write a paragraph explaining why the different solutions don't mix." Rapunzel replied.

"Ah! Alright," Aladdin replied.

Rapunzel carefully drew the beaker and described the picture. She walked up to the front desk and dropped her paper in the basket. "You done with the beaker?" She asked.

"Uh-"

She smiled slyly and dumped the beaker into the sink. The bell rang, and she picked up her notebook and slid it into her bag, "it was a pleasure working with you." She smiled.

Aladdin was left in the classroom, his drawing half done.

Rapunzel walked across the campus and sat down at their table. "How was science today?" Belle asked, still looking at her book.

"It was really fun! I was lab partners with Aladdin, and he made fun of me and Ferdinand, so I poured the beaker out before he could draw it!"

Alice laughed, "How sinister Rapunzel!"

"You'll see, he thinks I have a broken heart, but in the end, he will be the one crying over an F!" Rapunzel smiled.

Alice and Cinderella giggled, and Belle put her book down, smiling. "Hey did I miss much?" Meg said, sitting down.

"Just Rapunzel's revenge on Aladdin." Belle replied.

Meg laughed, "we definitely need to hang out over break!"

"No question about it!" Belle replied.

When the bell rang for fifth period, Rapunzel walked happily to her art class. She opened the classroom door, and walked inside. She looked at her usual table, and saw Esmerelda and Quasi whispering.

She sat down and they smiled at her. She pulled out her sketchbook, and began working. "So, Esmerelda, do you have any plans for over break?" Rapunzel asked.

"Nothing special, just spending time with family and friends." She replied.

Rapunzel nodded. She continued to design the sun she had sketched earlier that week.  
The bell rang and Rapunzel walked to her choral class. She walked in and waited for Ariel. Ariel snuck into the classroom, only to be followed by Alana. "Ariel!"

"Yes, Alana?"

"He is ruining my reputation!"

"What reputation, Alana?" Ariel replied, exasperated.

"What's going on Ariel?" Rapunzel asked.

Ariel gave her a warning look. "What is going on? Hercules is ruining my reputation!" Alana interjected.

"I'm sure it's not that bad," Rapunzel replied.

"It is that bad!" Alana cried.

"Rapunzel, don't listen to her!" Ariel cried.

Ms. Fauna began to play on the piano, and they began their scales. Alana stood in a huff for the rest of the period.

When the final bell rang, Rapunzel and Ariel looked at each other and hugged. Rapunzel walked out into the courtyard alone. "Hey, Shang, go on without, I'll catch up!" She heard.

She turned around to see Flynn Rider. "Hey, wait up!"

She looked at him. "I kind of have to go, my friends are waiting for me." She replied.

"Please! It will only take a minute!" He said catching up to her.

She stopped and looked at him. "I-I just wanted to thank you for what you did for me last night, I feel bad how much you had to struggle-"

She placed a finger on his lips "it was no problem."

Her braid flicked behind her as she started to turn away. "Wait!" He called.

She turned over her shoulder to look at him. "I owe you one, if you ever need something, you can count on me."

She smiled. "Alright, bye Flynn!"

She hurried down the street to Clarabelle's. she pulled the knob on the door, and heard the familiar ring of the bell. "Rapunzel! We thought you weren't coming!" Belle cried.

"I just got caught up with something, but I'm here now!" She smiled.

The others looked at her skeptically. Clarabelle whipped up her usual drink. She sat down at the table, and told them how dramatic Alana was being about her cousin moving to town.

"Hercules is a bit of a teacher's pet, but other than that everything he does is, uh, done with good intentions." Meg said.

They talked excitedly until Clarabelle closed up shop. Rapunzel walked home alone. She jumped the gate, and climbed up her ladder, pretending she had been home since school got out.

She looked at Pascal and smiled. "We're officially on break!" She said excitedly.

Pascal smiled at her. She put him down on her desk and looked out the window. She saw Shang, Yao, Ling, and Chien Po sitting in the garage. As he sat in a lawn chair, Shang tossed a football up and down. "Shang put that football down and come help you mother!" His mother called from the kitchen.

"Mom! I got football on the brain! The guys are coming over to play!" Shang replied.

Rapunzel giggled from her window sill. She waited to see if Flynn came over tonight. She wasn't surprised to see Flynn and the Stabbington brothers walking up the street. She pulled her legs inside and walked over to her closet. She pulled out her paint chest, and found an empty spot on her wall. She began to paint.

"Rapunzel?" Her mother called.

She ran down the stairs. "Yes mother?"

"Mommy is getting very hungry,"

Rapunzel sighed. Couldn't the grown woman who, as far as she knew, did nothing all day cook for herself and her daughter?

She busily tried to work with what was in the pantry. After pulling something together, she quickly ate and dashed back up to her room. Se looked out the window, the guys were still playing football outside. She watched as they played roughly, and then, when they were tired, layed on the Li's front lawn.

She smiled. She couldn't believe how sincere Flynn was after school. She watched as Mrs. Li called the boys in to eat.

Rapunzel figured she must be used to all the boys being around, as Mr. Li was the head coach for the football team. As evening turned to nightfall, Rapunzel watched the stars come out. For one week she was free from school.

Pascal crawled up on her shoulder. She sighed and looked out into the night sky. "Goodnight Mrs. Li!" "Thank you Mrs. Li" echoed from below.

The boys were leaving. Rapunzel smiled. She knew it would turn quiet once Shang's friends went home. She waited for the paint to dry on her wall.

As she heard more voices, she looked out the window to see Flynn leaving the Li's house. She watched as his tiny figure crossed the street to the side her house was on. As he walked by her house, she thought she could almost make out a wink as he passed where he though she could see him. Her eyes widened, and she looked out over the rooftops infront of her.

She watched his figure walk down the street and felt her stomach tingle. Her chest fluttered. She looked at pascal, unsure of what to do. She got off the window sill, and jumped, landing on her bed. She smiled as she rolled over. "Now's when my life begins!" She whispered to herself.


	17. Downtown Detour

**Thank you to all my readers! I realize I have been away for long periods of time mostly due to the fact I have been busy, so I haven't been writing. But now I have some time, so I will be trying to update As much as I can! Enjoy this chapter!**

On the first day of break, Belle woke up early. Saturday was always crowded at the market, so she would have to go early. She was still tired, but it was a small price to pay to get the first pick of the market.

She got dressed and snuck past her father's door. He was still asleep, but knew Saturday was the day Belle always went to the market. She snuck down the stairs, and slipped her shoes on.

The sun was just rising as she walked down the street. As she walked, her ponytail swayed behind her. She rounded the corner and walked up the street. She walked past the high school and turned the corner. She continued on a long straight street.

She finally reached the market. Many of the vendors had just opened. She made her first stop at the baker's stand to buy fresh bread. "Ah! Belle!"

"Good morning Monsieur!"

"Two baguettes for Belle and Monsieur Maurice? And a bag of dinner rolls?"

"Yes, thank you!" She smiled as she paid the baker.

She continued walking through the market, looking for the farmer with fresh produce. She stopped at a few vendors selling handmade goods. By the position of the sun she guessed it was probably around 9 o'clock. She continued walking, still looking for the farmer. "Belle?"

She turned around to see Claudia and Laura. Belle sighed and rolled her eyes. "Where is Paula?" She asked.

"She's looking for the jewelry vendor." Claudia and Laura replied, simultaneously.

Belle hated that the Bimbettes always talked simultaneously. "Well, I have to go! I have to find the farmer!" Belle said.

"We just wanted to tell you, you don't deserve Gaston." Laura pouted.

"You know, I really don't." Belle replied sarcastically.

She turned to walk away. Belle rolled her eyes thinking about the Bimbettes. She continued down the market. "Ah! Miss Belle!"

Belle rolled her eyes at the sound of her name. Who was after her now? She turned, and as she had feared, it was Lefou. "Hello Lefou." She said plainly.

He followed her as she continued her way to the farmer. She reached his stand full of vibrant fruits. "Ah! Belle!" An all-to-familiar voice rang out.

"Hello Gaston." She replied.

"What a surprise to see you here!"

"Gaston, I come here every Saturday, it's no surprise." Belle replied.

"Belle, it's always a pleasant surprise to see you!" Gaston said smoothly.

Belle looked at him, holding an apple in her hand. "Really Gaston? That's the best you can come up with?"

"Belle, don't act like you're above Gaston! I've seen you around with that blonde nobody!"

"Phoebus is my friend!" She replied hotly.

Gaston looked at her as she paid for her produce. She flipped her ponytail as she walked away.

Belle returned home from the market, and unpacked her bag. She walked into the library and picked out a book, and flipped through it. She slammed it shut and put it back on the shelf. How did Gaston know to get into her head so well?

She decided to take a walk to the book store to clear her mind. She walked slowly and stared at the ground. "Belle!" She heard behind her.

She turned around to see Phoebus behind her. He was wearing a t shirt and gym shorts, and was wearing sneakers. He pulled a towel off his neck and wiped his face. He was trying to catch his breath. "Where are you going?"

"The book store."

"Again?"

"Yes, and what are you doing?"

"I was uh, jogging."

She looked at him, he was still trying to catch his breath. "Do you mind if I join you?" He asked.

"Sure!" She smiled.

They walked in silence to the book store. Belle pulled open the door and a bell rang. "I never knew this was here!" Phoebus exclaimed.

Belle smiled. "It's my favorite book store."

Belle greeted the vendor and walked down the fantasy aisle. Phoebus followed her, amazed by the selection of books, old and new.

Belle sat on the floor and read the spines of the books on the lowest shelf. She picked one and pulled it out, and flipped to a random page. She smiled, and flipped it to the front and opened the first chapter. "Is this all you do?" Phoebus asked.

Belle looked up, "yeah pretty much."

She closed the book and began searching for another. Phoebus laughed. "Ok, I'll be right back, I'm going to buy these ones." Belle said excitedly.

She returned to Phoebus, her new books in hand. "Ready to go?" She asked.

"Yeah, I need to get home." He replied.

"Do you want to get a drink?" Belle asked.

Phoebus laughed. "Belle I'm trying to stay fit!"

"One drink won't hurt! Fine. If you don't want one, come with me to get one." She replied.

Belle led Phoebus down the street. They walked all the way down to Clarabelle's. "good morning Belle!" Clarabelle called.

"Good morning Clarabelle!"

"Who's this?" Clarabelle asked sweetly.

"Oh, this is my friend Phoebus." Belle replied.

"Anything for you sweetie?" Clarabelle asked Phoebus.

"Oh! No, I'm working on... working on working out." He smiled.

Clarabelle smiled. She whipped up Belle's usual drink. Belle thanked her and grabbed a straw. She took a sip. Phoebus smiled. "Want a sip?" She asked.

"I'm good." Phoebus said politely.

"Clarabelle's drinks are the best!" Belle replied.

"Fine!" Phoebus said.

He took a sip and his eyes lit up. He looked at the cup. "That is really, really good!"

Belle laughed. "Told you!" She teased.

"Hey Clarabelle! Will you make one of whatever Belle gets?" Phoebus asked.

"Sure thing, Sugar Pie!" Clarabelle replied, winking at Belle.

The blender whirred, and Belle smiled at Phoebus. Clarabelle put Phoebus' drink on the counter. He grabbed it, and they said goodbye to Clarabelle.

They walked back up to their neighborhood. "I never knew that place ever existed!" Phoebus said.

"Oh yeah, usually everyone goes to Daisy's for shakes, but my friends and I prefer Clarabelle's." Belle replied, "I have to go, I'll see you around!"

Phoebus waved as Belle entered her house. Belle skipped up the stairs and sat on her bed. She flipped through her new books. She heard a knock downstairs.

She ran downstairs to open the door. Meg was standing in her doorway. "Hey Meg!"

"Hey you want to go walk downtown?"

"Uh, sure, let me ask my father!"

Belle ran out to the garage where Maurice was working. As she asked her father he nodded and warned her to be careful. She grabbed her bag and returned to the doorway where Meg was standing. "It'll take awhile to get down there." Meg said cooly.

They walked down the street. They were going to have to take the train, and the station was far enough to be an exhausting walk. "Why do you want to go downtown so badly?" Belle asked.

"See if we can catch any cute boys!" Meg smiled.

They walked far from the proximity of their town and finally reached the train station. Meg purchased tickets and they waited on the platform. He train rolled in, and they boarded. They sat down and Meg read the map of train routes. "I think you should leave the navigating to me!" Belle laughed.

She grabbed the map out of Meg's hands. "You've never been downtown!" Meg replied.

"I can still read a map better than you!" Belle teased.

Belle figured out their route. The train came to a stop at the downtown station, and they got off. It was mid afternoon, but the streets were already full of people.

Meg grabbed Belle by the hand and pulled her out of the station and onto the streets. Belle resisted at first, the last time Meg had done this, she led her into the underworld.

They walked on a crowded street. There were many large stores playing music and trying to welcome people inside. Belle pulled her jacket around her, and tried to keep up with Meg. "Meg!" She heard a squeal somewhere ahead.

She heard Meg yell and then disappear. Belle got lost in a sea of people. She struggled to push through the crowd to get back to Meg. She knew she would never find Meg.

She pulled into a store to take a break from the crowd. She sighed and looked up. The store was unlike any other she had ever been in. She didn't have a very good impression of down town.

She looked around in the store, it was dark and difficult to see. She stumbled over a wooden crate and grabbed onto a shelf. The shelf was filled with jars. She squinted and tried to get a closer look. The jars looked old, and dirty, and contents Belle couldn't make out. She walked deeper into the store, thinking that nobody had been there in a long time. She looked up and noticed skeletal structures of animals hanging from the ceiling. The store appeared to be two stories, with a balcony that overlooked the lower level. Belle took a step, and heard something shift in the upper level. She gasped and looked up, only to see nothing. "Hello?" She called.

There was no reply. Belle looked up, and continued walking into the store. She tripped on a loose floorboard, and knocked over an empty bottle. It cracked on impact. Belle continued walking to find a cracked mirror on the wall. She heard shuffling come from the upper level. She stopped, and held still. She turned back, looking for the door. The shuffling became louder.

Belle turned to look for the staircase where something might come from. There was no visible staircase and the door was far from where she was standing. She looked at the door, there was no clear path to the door, she must have climbed over boxes and crates to get this far. She turned back around and screamed. Someone was standing inches away from her face.

She trembled and stuttered. The figure was covered by shadows of the dark store. The figure said nothing, but breathed heavily infront of her. Belle held her breath. "Why did you come here?" The figure asked.

Belle tried to make out any form of the figure. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean any harm!" She trembled.

"How did you find this place?" The figure demanded.

The shadows shifted and Belle could make out a tall male figure. "I-I-I got lost downtown, and s-s-separated from my friend."

"Lost?"

"Please don't hurt me!" She cried, "this is my first time downtown!"

The figure took a step backward. Belle covered her head with her hands. She crouched, and braced herself for what might come next. The figure shifted. Belle shut her eyes tightly. Nothing happened.

She opened one eye and saw the figure standing over her. The figure let out a sigh. "Go,"

"Wha-"

"I said, GO!" The figure demanded.

"You-you're letting me go?" Belle asked.

"Before I change my mind!"

Belle turned and stumbled out of the shop, tripping over crates on her way out. She immediately flinched at the sunlight. Meg was gone for sure. She looked around and followed the flow of the crowd down the street.

She continued walking down the street. The whole area was unfamiliar to her. She darted into an alley between shops to take a breath. "I don't think I've ever seen you before!" She heard.

She turned around and saw a gang of students from S. Speilburg high. She sighed. If only Meg were here, she would know how to handle this. One of the boys put his hand on Belle's shoulder. "You come here often?" He asked.

"Uh-"

Another boy emerged from the group. "She's one of those Disney High girls!"

Belle trembled. She tried to free herself from the first boy's grip. "Struggling won't help you," he said slyly.

Belle sighed. Another boy grabbed her and they pulled her into an alley. "So tell us, what kind of secrets do you keep up there in good ol' Disney High," one of the boys asked.

"I will never tell you!" Belle cried.

"What are you doing in these downtown parts?"

"That's none of your concern!" Belle replied.

"We got a stubborn one," the first boy said to another.

Belle frowned. One of the boys came over to her and tied her hands together with rope. Belle wanted to cry, but knew she couldn't show her weakness. She wished wherever Meg was, she would come find her. "So what's your name?" One of the boys asked.

"That's none of your business!" Belle replied.

The boys laughed. Belle stood with her hands tied behind her back. One of the boys pushed her down. She hit the floor, hard. "Give us Walt's secrets, and we'll let you go!"

"I have nothing to tell you!" She replied.

The boys were now getting frustrated. "If you don't tell us, you may never see your friends again!" He threatened.

Belle was speechless. She hung her head. She wished she had never left Meg.

The boys continued to press her with questions. She didn't want to answer, she didn't have any of the information they wanted. She didn't know any secrets about her own school.

"Let her go." A new voice called.

Belle looked up, and saw a figure in the shadows. It resembled the one she had seen in the store she stumbled across.

"Who are you?" One of the boys asked.

"That's not relevant, let her go." The figure said, growing angry.

He stepped into the alley, and Belle's head began to spin. She thought she recognized him. The boys slowly moved from Belle to the new boy. The boy was much bigger than most of the boys in the gang. "If you want her, you're going to have to fight for her!" The boy, who appeared to be the leader, said.

"That's not a wise decision on your part." The figure said cooly.

The gang of boys teamed up on the new boy. Belle watched in fear as they began to fight. She was helpless, she couldn't stand without the use of her hands. The boy tried to fight, and bring himself closer to her. He was within an arm's reach, but was horribly beaten.

He reached, just barely able to touch Belle, and pulled on the rope around her hands, freeing her. His clear blue eyes locked with hers. The gang fled the scene, leaving Belle alone with the boy.

Suddenly it clicked in her memory. The clear blue eyes, the tangled caramel hair, the tall build. It was Adam. She gasped, as he struggled to breath. She helped him up, and put his arm around her shoulder. She helped him walk back up the street to the store she had stumbled into previously.

She laid him down on the ground. He groaned in pain. Belle looked at each of his arms, and his face, examining the wounds. He was badly bruised.

She ran out of the shop, looking for a drink vendor of some kind. She found a man with a cart full of drinks. "Can I have some water and ice please?" She begged, "it's urgent!" She handed him money and took ice and water and ran back to the shop.

She put the ice on his wounds. "That hurts!" He growled, trying to pull away.

"If you don't move, it won't hurt so much!" She retorted.

He gave up and let her tend to his wounds. "What were you doing with those guys anyway?" He asked.

"I was taking a little break in a small alley between shops, and they captured me." Belle replied.

"Downtown is a dangerous place." Adam replied.

"What do you do in here?" Belle asked looking around.

"This shop is my father's old place. He used to run an oddity shop." Adam replied.

Belle gasped. "Then people stopped coming, so he stopped working. Now I come in here for a quiet place to have time alone. You were actually the first person to come in here in years." He replied.

"I came in here by accident, I needed a break from the crowded streets, and I lost my friend Meg." Belle replied.

Adam looked at her. She sat him up and handed him the water she bought. "By the way," she began.

He looked at her after sipping from the water. "Thank you, for saving my life."

He looked at her, and locked eyes with her. "It's no problem," he replied, looking away.

She helped him to his feet. "You should probably go look for your friend," Adam said solemnly.

Belle looked back at the door, and then back at Adam. "I guess," she replied.

She said goodbye to Adam, and walked out the door. It was now dark, and the streets had slowed with people. "There you are!" She heard.

Meg was running toward her. "I've been looking everywhere for you!" She cried.

"I lost you!" Belle replied.

"Sorry I got hung up with Esmerelda, and then you disappeared, so we went looking for you!" Meg replied.

"Sorry," Belle mumbled quietly.

She and Meg walked back to the train station. They rode back to their town in silence. It was now very dark, and Meg and Belle walked back to Belle's house. "Hello Papa!" Belle called.

"Belle! I was beginning to worry! And Meg!" Maurice replied.

"Papa, we're fine!" Belle replied.

"Meg, please stay the night! I don't want you walking in the dark!" Maurice replied.

"May I use your telephone to call my parents?" Meg asked.

"Of course!" Maurice replied showing her to the phone.

Belle and her father walked upstairs to prepare a bed for Meg. Meg walked up the stairs and she and Belle got ready for bed. Maurice said goodnight, and Belle curled up in her bed, with Meg sleeping on a makeshift bed next to her. Belle couldn't stop thinking about Adam


	18. Dreaming with the heart

Cinderella sighed as she locked up the diner. Tiana was waiting for her outside. It was Friday night and she had just finished work. She checked the last door and put the keys in her purse. She smiled at Tiana as they began to walk home. It was late, and she was exhausted. She said goodbye to Tiana as she walked up to the grand door of the Tramaine household. She opened the door to find her step sisters yelling at each other.

"But you said you had that Charles guy! The new boy is mine!"

"So? I can have two crushes!"

"Hercules is mine!"

Cinderella could feel a headache coming on, she knew it was going to be a long, restless night. Anastasia and Drizella were arguing, and the whole house would suffer. Cinderella sighed. She had just the weekend before break was over. She walked up the stairs to her room and shut the door.

Unfortunately, she could still hear the yelling. She layed on her bed and closed her eyes, hoping the fighting would end. She sat up and changed out of her work clothes.

She slipped on her slippers and emerged from her room. The sound of sobbing was all that she could hear. She snuck downstairs to find Lady Tremaine scolding her daughters for fighting over something so foolish. It was about time. Mascara was running down the faces of her stepsisters.

Cinderella shook her head and walked back upstairs. Life was tough when all you had to care about was whether or not your older sister liked the same guy as you. She curled up in bed and fell asleep.

The next morning, she heard her door open. She rolled over and looked at her clock. It was earlier than she normally woke up. She looked to see who had entered her room at such an early hour. It was her stepmother.

Cinderella immediately sat up and began to find her slippers with her feet as Lady Tremaine looked at her. "Don't rush, child." She said cooly.

Cinderella looked at her curiously. "I know you want me to start my chores, and-"

"Silence!" Her step mother replied.

Cinderella looked at her. "But-"

"I'm giving you the weekend off. I want Anastasia and Drizella to do your chores for the next two days."

"Why?"

"I want them to see that there is more to life than these Charles and Hercules characters." Lady Tremaine replied coldly, "you are free of all your duties until you go back to school."

Cinderella nodded. She curled back into her bed, and fell asleep.

She woke up several hours later to her stepsisters, once again yelling at each other.

She sighed and slipped her slippers on, and walked downstairs. She walked into the kitchen, the sink filled with dishes of attempted cooking and Bruno pacing by the door.

Anastasia and Drizella were arguing in the kitchen covered in remnants of their failed attempts at cooking. "Anastasia! Drizella!" She called.

They turned and looked at her. "Bruno isn't going to take himself out!" She teased, changing her focus from the wreck of the kitchen.

She smiled at her step sisters who were now steaming. She walked into the pantry and pulled out a granola bar. "Hey, Mother said we were supposed to make breakfast!" Drizella steamed.

Cinderella smirked, "like I would take a chance eating whatever you conjure up for us to eat!"

She walked to the back door and let Bruno out, and exited the kitchen, leaving her step sisters confused by her use of vocabulary.

She sat at her vanity and stared in the mirror. She smiled. She had two days off, and a pay check to be spent from Daisy's.

She quickly readied herself and put on a pair of tights, a warm dress, a scarf, and her overcoat. She pulled on her boots and gloves and grabbed her purse.

She walked down to the train station to wait for a train to take her to the next town. When the train arrived, she boarded and sat down. She sat patiently as she watched various people get on and off the train. She got off after two stops.

When she got off she walked onto the platform and a cool breeze came through the station. Cinderella pulled her coat tighter. She could feel winter coming closer.

She walked through the station into town. As she had several times before, she walked to the hardware store. She made her way to the furniture fixtures and picked out a few knobs for the drawers. She picked up new detail paint, and made her way to the cashier.

On her return trip through town, she heard a few familiar voices. The voices were too familiar for her. "So Herc, how you liking it here?"

Cinderella cringed at the voice of Aurora.

"It's really nice here," she heard Hercules begin, "I was wondering about that girl, Megara?"

"She is bad news, she was dating the quarter back Adonis, but now she's just a loser, along with her loser friends. I mean, who hangs out with juniors and a sophomore when you're a senior! Get a life!" Aurora responded.

"I think she's pretty cool." Hercules replied quietly.

Cinderella was intrigued by their conversation, and enraged by what she was hearing. She snapped back and remembered she had to get back home and see the disaster her stepsisters were cooking up for dinner.

She sat on the train silently, waiting for her stop. She got off and walked back home. She opened the door to find the entryway covered in a layer of water, and suds. Horrified, she looked around for any trace of her step sisters.

She found Drizella on the other side of the stairs. "Sing sweet nightingale, sing sweet nightingale, ah Ah Ah Ah AH!"

Cinderella cringed at her step sister's terrible singing. "Drizella what is going on?" She asked.

"Mother told us to wash the entryway." She replied.

"You don't flood the floor!" Cinderella cried.

She shook her head and steped over Drizella to walk up the stairs. She made it back to her own room, and began looking through her closet to find the tools she had managed to gather from her father.

She quickly began work on her vanity by replacing the old drawer knobs that continually broke off. She pulled out the detail paint and looked at it. She had picked up silver to complement the blue of the vanity.

She sat content for an hour, while she detailed the vanity. She smiled as she finished and sat on her bed and picked up a book to read while it dried. "Cinderella!" She heard Drizella call.

She jumped from her bed and walked downstairs. She had lost track of time, and her step sisters had prepared dinner. She sat in her usual seat at the table. Lady Tremaine was already seated. "Cinderella, please sit in Drizella's usual seat."

Cinderella looked at her and got up to sit at the opposite head of the table. "Mother!" Drizella cried.

"Hush Drizella, today you serve us!"

Drizella looked upset. Anastasia brought salad to the table. "Anastasia, what is this?" Lady Tremaine asked, trying to be polite.

Cinderella suppressed a giggle. "It's salad, Mother." Anastasia replied.

Lady Tremaine looked in the bowl to find large pieces of lettuce and large pieces of carrot. She looked at small sprinkle of cheese on the top. Lady Tremaine left the bowl in the center of the table, horrified.

Cinderella tried to make the best of it, and put some in a bowl and eat it. Drizella then put plates of pasta infront of everyone. Lady Tremaine looked slightly more intrigued and took a bite. Her face quickly changed in shock. Cinderella took a bite of her own, only to find her step sisters had under cooked the pasta. Cinderella and Lady Tremaine managed to choke down the meal.

After dinner, Cinderella skipped back upstairs to seal the paint on her vanity. She got ready for bed and curled up and went to sleep.

The rest of the weekend flew by, and before Cinderella knew it, she was putting on her uniform on Monday morning. She hurried to the bus stop to wait for the bus.

When the bus arrived, she boarded and sat in her usual seat. It had been a week since she had even seen John. She wasn't sure if she wanted to see him. "Morning good sir!" She heard a peppy voice greeting the bus driver.

All the bus riders shifted to see who the new face was. "Charles! What a surprise!" The bus driver replied.

"Hey! My car wouldn't start, we all have bad days! But it's good to see you again!" The voice said.

He strode to one of the middle seats and sat down. Cinderella had never seen him before. She ran the name Charles through her head, it sounded so familiar.

When Esmerelda and Quasi boarded it clicked. Charles was the Charles that Anastasia was in love with. She was in love with Charles charming, who was not only a junior, but the Junior class President!

Cinderella tried to get a better look at him, but could only see the back of his head. He had dark brown hair that was neatly combed, not a hair out of place.

The bus arrived at school. As Charles got off, Cinderella noticed he had a very brilliant smile.

She walked onto campus and made her way to first period, the bell was about to ring anyway.

At third period Cinderella smiled at Rapunzel. "What?" Rapunzel asked curiously.

Cinderella continued to smile. "What!?" Rapunzel laughed nervously.

"I now who he is!" Cinderella said excitedly.

"Know who, who is?" Rapunzel asked, confused.

"Charles!" Cinderella replied.

Rapunzel stared at her blankly. Cinderella smiled. "You know, the one Anastasia has been all over? He rode the bus today because I guess his car wouldn't start."

Rapunzel looked at her, "the class president?"

"Yes!" Cinderella replied excitedly.

"Class, partner up with someone and discuss symbolism in the book so far!" Mr. Thatch called out.

Cinderella scooted closed to Rapunzel. "Yes! I finally know who he is! And he isn't half bad!" Cinderella smiled.

Rapunzel opened her book and smiled back at Cinderella. She tried to discuss their topic with Cinderella, but she appeared too excited.

When lunch came, Cinderella was interested to hear Meg's stories about Hercules. "-and he is such a teacher's pet, and Frollo can't stand him. Which is good for Esmerelda I guess, takes his focus off her for awhile." Meg said.

Cinderella thought Hercules was kind at heart, and wished Meg would give him the time of day. "-and so Frollo says 'what is the significance of Zeus in Greek Mythology?' And Hercules just belts out this stream of words like he memorized the textbook or something." Meg continued.

No chance, Cinderella thought. Poor Hercules.

When the day was over, Cinderella got ready for work. She realized that usually at this point, John would join her, but today he didn't. It upset her, a little more than she wished it would have. She walked alone to work and clocked in.

Time passed slowly as she thought about John. She heard the microphone screech and she knew it was 5 o'clock. Time for Jessica to sing. Cinderella sighed.

"Hello?" She heard. "I want to thank you all for being here, and Mrs. Mouse for giving me this opportunity."

Cinderella frowned as she walked into the kitchen. The voice was oddly familiar. "I'm going to be singing a song I wrote. I hope you like it!"

Cinderella put an order in and grabbed a tray to fill with plates.

"Maybe he's right, maybe there is something the matter with me. I just don't see how a world that makes such wonderful things could be bad!"

Cinderella carried her tray out onto the floor. So Jessica had switched up her song choice, it was about time. "Look at this stuff, isn't it neat? Wouldn't you think my collection's complete? Wouldn't you think I'm the girl, the girl who has everything?"

Cinderella looked at the stage, confused. She brought the plates to their table and began walking back to the kitchen. "Look at this trove! Treasures untold! How many wonders can one cavern hold? Looking around here you thing, sure, she's got everything!"

Cinderella looked at the shimmering blue dress. She was amazed. It strangely complimented her fire engine red hair. Cinderella gasped. She realized why the hair and voice were so familiar. It was Ariel

"Wish I could be, pat of that world!"

Cinderella walked back to the kitchen and grabbed more plates for the next table. She came back through the double doors. "Thank you! You're so kind!"

Cinderella delivered the plates and went to get a drink. "Cinderella?"

She turned around to see Ariel. "Ariel!"

"I didn't know you were a waitress!"

"Well, I used to bus tables, but then I got promoted to being a waitress, but that's enough about me. What are you doing here singing?!" She said quickly.

"Well, Aquata suggested I try to get a few local gigs to help me become a better singer. She wants to see me sing for a living. Alana was her apprentice until about seventh grade."

"What happened in seventh grade?"

"Alana discovered makeup. She wants to be a makeup artist. Unlike Aquata and Arista, Alana wants to get into costume makeup. Arista and Aquata are both kind of professional singers. I mean they aren't known all over the world, but they do gigs locally."

"That sounds great!" Cinderella replied, "will you be around after nine?"

"Yeah I just sang at five, I'll sing again at seven and nine!"

"Great I get off after nine!"

When nine o'clock came around, Ariel sang, and Cinderella finished her shift. Cinderella closed the diner down after Ariel finished. "Hey Cinderella!" Ariel called. Ariel and Cinderella were joined by Tiana. And they began to walk home.

Cinderella entered her house, and began to cook for her step sisters. After having two days off, she had missed cooking. The main reason was she would rather cook for her step sisters than eat whatever they managed to throw together.

She finished dinner and walked upstairs to do her homework. She was tired, but was used to this routine, and it made her happy.

Before she went to bed, she let Bruno out one more time. On her way back up the stairs, she saw Lucifer's yellow eyes glowing in the dark.

She reached her room, curled up, and went to sleep.

The next morning she arrived at school, again with no trace of John. "-and then as Peter and I were running, we saw Thomas playfully pass, and I think he winked at me!" Alice cried.

Interesting. Thomas was still around, but no trace of John. She tried to put it out of her mind. She didn't want to get too involved with John anyway.

When third period came, Cinderella drew mindlessly on her notebook. "Class! We're going to the library to return our books, and to pick out our new book!" Mr. Thatch announced.

Cinderella stood up and Rapunzel looked at her. "Is everything alright?" Rapunzel asked.

"Yeah, I've just been thinking about something," Cinderella lied.

Rapunzel nodded. The class filed out and they began to walk to the library. "Hey! You know Ariel?" Cinderella asked.

"Yeah," Rapunzel replied.

"She was singing last night at the diner. I think Mrs. Mouse gave her Jessica's shift."

"Really? That's great for her!"

"Yeah, she's really good too, a nice change from Jessica."

They walked to the library and picked up their new book, Of Mice and Men. "Sounds...interesting," Rapunzel said quietly.

Cinderella looked at her. They returned to class and talked until the bell rang.

By lunch Cinderella still had seen no trace of John. She was beginning to give up. He was clearly avoiding her. "Alice, will you ask Thomas where John has been?" She asked.

Alice nodded. She restlessly ate her lunch.

The school day came to an end, and Cinderella went to prep herself for work. She walked into the bathroom to find the familiar face of Ariel getting ready herself. "Hey! Are you singing again tonight?"

"Mrs. Mouse really liked my singing yesterday, so she offered me to come back today to see if I could wow the crowd again today!" Ariel replied.

Cinderella noticed someone else in the bathroom. It was Alana, digging through a large makeup chest. "Ariel come here! Tonight we're going to actually put some makeup on you!"

Ariel and Cinderella giggled. They walked down to the diner together.

As Cinderella worked through her shift, she smiled at the voice of her new friend. She was dilivereing plates to a table, when her dreamy thoughts were broken. She looked across the diner, and saw two figures, about her age sitting at a table. They had school bags with them, and they had papers on the table. Cinderella frowned. "Cinderella! Can you handle table 26?" Jessica asked.

Cinderella looked at her and nodded. She walked over to the table where the two figures were seated. They were as familiar as she had thought they were. They were both wearing WDHS uniforms, and one figure, who as she grew closer, she discovered was male, has a WDHS hoodie on.

As she was approaching the table she uncontrollably gasped. She put her hand over her mouth. "Oh! Hello Cinderella!" The boy said cheerfully.

Cinderella panicked. "Drink? Can I get you a drink?" She said nervously.

"I'll have a lemonade." Said the boy.

"Water please," the girl said cooly.

Cinderella gave a nervous smile and headed to the bar where Tiana was filling drinks. "You ok?" Tiana asked, looking at Cinderella's ghostly appearance.

"No," she began, "I just began serving a table where John is sitting with this other senior girl, I forget what her name is, but I know she's friends with Meg!"

"Oh dear! We won't jump to conclusions! Maybe they're just friends doing a school project!" Tiana tried to keep her cool and reassure Cinderella.

Cinderella filled the glasses and walked back to the table. She set them down. Only John thanked her. "Can I take your order?"

The two ordered and Cinderella began to walk away. "So I think it would be good for our school to have an environmental club. Nacoma and I will be co presidents."

Cinderella walked back into the kitchen. "What did you find out?" Tiana asked.

"They're working on making an environmental club, nothing too romantic."

"Maybe they're just good friends?" Tiana suggested.

Cinderella didn't know why she was so upset over John eating with a friend. She continued serving until their order was up. She asked Tiana to help with the plates.

As they began the journey from the kitchen, Cinderella saw John with his arm up on the booth. As they approached the table she heard "-I met her on the bus, it's no big deal!"

"Order up!" Cinderella said cheerfully.

"So club meets are on Tuesday?" John faked.

Tiana and Cinderella put the plates down. They looked at each other as they walked back to the kitchen. "Did you hear what I heard?" Tiana asked, " it sounded like he brushed you off as 'some girl he met on the school bus'!" She steamed.

Cinderella stared at the floor. "It's my fault, I told him I didn't think I could handle a boyfriend!"

Tiana looked at her, "it's not your fault, he's just a fraud!"

Cinderella looked at Tiana. She sent Tiana to check on them to see of she could catch more. Tiana came back. "I don't like that girl he's with! But besides that, before I walked up he was trying to put his arm around her, and I heard him say you were just a friend."

Cinderella looked at the floor, "he's right," she said, "I am 'just a friend'."

Tiana looked at her, hurt by Cinderella putting herself down. Cinderella looked at her, trying to hold back tears.


End file.
